• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.108-117
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• 2022

Background: The efficacy of telemedicine among cancer survivors is uncertain. The Smart After-Care Program (SAP), which is an interactive, smartphone-based remote health monitoring system, was developed to help patients manage their health after leaving the hospital. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of our remote health care program for lung cancer patients. Methods: We enrolled 50 patients with lung cancer. Self-monitoring devices were supplied to all patients, who were instructed to enter their daily vital signs and subjective symptoms to the Smart After-Care app. The app also provided information about rehabilitation exercises and a healthy diet for lung cancer patients. All patients received health counseling via telephone once a week and visited an outpatient clinic during weeks 6 and 12 to assess satisfaction with the SAP and changes in quality of life and physical performance. Results: Overall satisfaction with the SAP was very high (very good, 61.9%; good, 26.2%). In the multivariate analysis to identify factors affecting satisfaction, the distance between the patient's residence and the hospital was the only significant independent factor (p=0.013). Quality of life improved along all functional scales (p<0.05). Muscle strength significantly improved in the lower limbs (p=0.012). Two-minute walk distance also significantly improved (p=0.028). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the SAP was acceptable for and supportive of patients with reduced pulmonary function after lung cancer treatment. The SAP was found to be particularly useful for patients living far from the hospital.

• The Journal of Korea Assosiation for Disability and Oral Health
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.111-117
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• 2013

Some odontogenic infections erode into fascial spaces directly and spread toward lymphatic tissues and blood streams. The principal maxillary primary spaces are the canine, buccal, and infratemporal space, the next secondary spaces are the masseteric, temporal and pharygeal space. As a result of the infection, trismus and orocutaneous fistula may be occurred. Trismus is owing to conditions not associated with temporomandibular joint itself and may be of myogenic, neurogenic, or psychogenic nature. Muscular trismus is due to infection adjacent to the elevator muscles of the jaw. The four principles of treatment of infection are as follows: (1) removal of the cause, (2) establishment of drainage, (3) institution of antibiotic therapy, and (4) provision of supportive care, including rest, nutrition and physiotherapy. Jaw physiotherapy is necessary to increase the amount of mouth opening and regain normal muscle tone. If proper care of odontogenic infection could be attained, the orocutaneous fistula will heal and close spontaneously by wound contraction mechanism of natural homeostatic response. This is a case report of the care of trismus and orocutaneous fistula due to fascial space abscess by advanced odontogenic infection in a physically disabled patient.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.11 no.8
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• pp.131-138
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• 2020

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the nurses' educational needs for the infertility care. Methods: The 194 participants in this study were nurses in charge of infertility health services in 5 infertility hospitals and 1 public health center. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire including education for disease and symptom of infertility, education for daily life of infertile patients and supporting and counselling for infertility patients. Results: Nurses had an average score 3.52 for the need of education for disease and symptom of infertility, 3.36 for the need of education for daily life of infertile patients and 3.32 for the need of supporting and counselling for intertility patients. Among the each subcategories, 'Infertility treatment procedure and intervention', 'Exercise' and 'How to form a supportive relationship with your spouse' showed the highest average of nurses' educational needs for the infertility care counselling programs item for the infertility patients. Conclusion: In order to effectively conduct infertility care for the infertility patients, it is necessary for nurses in charge of infertility health services to understand clear concept and objective of it.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.315-319
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• 2018

This paper aims to make a step-by-step strategy to formulate an unified health system by clarifying and overcoming challenges facing South and North Korea and to estimate costs needed for South Korea to assist North Korea to recover to normal health delivery system. We explored implications through literature review and estimated costs under the assumption that supportive activities be provided for 5 years in three ways: support for the development of health and medical care manpower; support for health and medical facilities; and support for the provision of both preventive and primary health care. Step-by-step strategy is formulated for a unified health system with the cost estimation resulting as follows: in case of basic scenario, a total of 3 trillion and 341 billion won (at present value of the year 2017) is in need for the 5-year period at the initial 'recovery support stage' with 135.9 billion won for the development of health and medical care manpower, approximately 2 trillion won for health and medical facilities, and 1.2 trillion won for the provision of both preventive and primary health care. Step-by-step approach is more realistic and applicable in formulating unified health system. Suggested stages are 'recovery support stage,' 'system homogenization stage,' and 'unified system stage.' Strategies at 'recovery support stage' suggested in this paper need to be pursued and followed by those at 'system homogenization stage' and 'unified system stage.'

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.57 no.11
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• pp.644-653
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• 2019

Since 2013, adults aged over 20 can receive national health insurance scaling once a year in South Korea. In this study, we analyzed the usage status of national health insurance care service for periodontal disease in 2010-2018 by using Healthcare big data of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The increase rate of the dental care users was very high at 7.8 and 11.2% in 2013 and 2014, respectively. These are higher than the increase rate of all medical institution users, which is between -1.7 and 3.7%. In 2017, the rate of dental use was 44.4%, which has increased more than 10% compared to 2012. Percent receiver of national health insurance scaling was 19.5% in 2017. The 20s had the highest rate of 23.2%. The rate decreased with age. Based on these results, it can be evaluated that the expansion of national health insurance coverage for scaling improves accessibility to dental care. A more long-term assessment of the effect of periodic dental examination and scaling on reducing the prevalence of periodontal disease is needed. National health insurance coverage should be extended to oral hygiene education and supportive periodontal therapy in order to prevent periodontal disease.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.141-150
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• 2020

Purpose: High-quality nursing care must be provided for women with infertility, and their nursing needs must be identified. Although scales have been developed to assess infertility-related stress, quality of life, and psychosocial status, there is a lack of scales that assess the nursing needs of women with infertility. The purpose of this study was to develop a needs assessment scale for nursing care in women with infertility and to verify its reliability and validity. Methods: The 250 subjects in this study were women with infertility recruited from four hospitals. The scale was developed following the framework of DeVellis, through a literature review, in-depth interviews, development of preliminary items, verification of content validity, development of secondary items, verification of construct validity, and extraction of the final items. Date were analyzed using item analysis, factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, Pearson correlation coefficients, and Cronbach's alpha. Reliability was tested using Cronbach's alpha, and validity was evaluated using item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and criterion validity. Results: The final version of the nursing needs assessment scale for woman with infertility consisted of 18 items. Four factors (physical and psychological nursing needs, needs for information regarding treatment, needs for infertility-related understanding and concern, and supportive needs) explained 66.0% of the total variance. Cronbach's alpha was .92 for the overall instrument and ranged from .88 to .91 for the subscales. Conclusion: These results suggest that this needs assessment scale for nursing care in women with infertility demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability and contained items suitable for assessing the level of nursing care needed by women with infertility.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.125-134
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• 2002

Purpose: The objectives for this study were to identify the factors that correlate with appraisal of illness and to explore what variables are predictive of cancer patients primary caregivers' cognitive appraisal for stress. Method: The subjects were selected by convenient sampling and 130 caregivers who completed a questionnaire. Measures used in this study included the Family Inventory of Resources for Management, Social Support Index, Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales and Family Coping Coherence Index. Pearson correlation was used to identify the relationship among factors and multiple regression was used to determine the individual and cumulative effect of potential predictors on the caregivers' appraisal. Results: Patient's level of activity, severity of the disease, quality of relation between patient and caregiver, caregiver's subjective health status, economic status, family resources and coping were significantly correlated. Among the variables, coping, family resources, economic status and quality of relation between caregiver and patient predicted 49.2 percent of the variance in appraisal of caregivers' stress condition. Conclusion: These findings suggest that coping mechanisms and family resources are important for positive appraisal. Nurses should provide adequate nursing care for the primary caregiver about professional care information and supportive counseling.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.267-276
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the recovering process of men who had abused alcohol and has lived in a therapeutic community. Methods: Individual in-depth interviews were used to collect data from 10 of these men who has lived in the therapeutic community for more than one year. Qualitative data from field notes and transcribed notes were analyzed using the grounded theory methodology developed by Strauss and Corbin. Results: The core category about the recovering process of the men who had abused alcohol and are now in the therapeutic community was identified as "reconstructing a broken life". The recovering process of these men in the therapeutic community consisted of four phases; 'self-awareness stage', 'unfreezing stage', 'readjustment stage', and 'challenging stage'. Conclusion: In this study "reconstructing a broken life", as the core category vividly showed joys and sorrows of men who had abused alcohol and has lived in the recovering process of managing the yoke of life-long disease. In this process of recovery from alcoholic dependence the men gradually adjusted themselves to their given condition. Also they gained coping strategies to care for, and protect themselves. Therefore health care providers can establish supportive programs in the clinical field to empower these men by reflecting their proactive coping strategies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.473-478
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• 2016

Hepatocellular cancer is a very common cause of cancer related deaths worldwide. Only 30-40% of patients present with early-stage disease open to curative treatments, such as resection or transplantation, while others can only undergo local therapies or palliative care. Various trans-arterial approaches have been used for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients who need a down-staging to liver transplantation, and who are not candidates for transplantation or radiofrequency ablation. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), transarterial embolization (TAE), drug-eluting beads, and radioembolization have been used for locoregional control, and have been shown to prolong the overall survival when compared with supportive care. In this review, we discuss patient selection, pre- and post-procedure imaging, techniques, safety, and clinical outcomes related to these therapies. Newer advances with future directions in various fields related to trans-arterial therapies are also discussed.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.609-621
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of Korean mothers in parenting children with Hunter's syndrome, an X linked recessive genetically inherited disease usually affecting boys. Methods: Data were collected from 14 mothers having children with Hunter's syndrome, through two focus group interviews and individual in-depth interviews. Qualitative data from the field notes and transcribed notes were analyzed using the grounded theory methodology developed by Strauss & Corbin (1998). Results: The core category about the process of rearing children with Hunter's syndrome was identified as "navigating in the maze". The process of rearing children with Hunter's syndrome passed through three phases; 'entering an unknown region', 'struggling to escape from the unknown region', 'settling down in the unknown region'. Conclusion: In this study "navigating in the maze", as the core category deeply showed joys and sorrows of mothers in the process of rearing their children with Hunter's syndrome. In this rearing process they gradually adjusted themselves to their given condition. Also they gained initiatively coping strategies to care for, and protect their children. Therefore health care providers can establish supportive programs in the clinical field to empower these mothers by reflecting their proactive coping strategies.