• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.235-246
• /
• 2003

Due to major disasters Korea has been damaged, and they caused lots of casualties: for last ten years natural disasters caused 1288 deaths including missing people; human disasters including industrial disasters brought as many as 4,512.148 casual ties (126,372 deaths with 4,385,400 injuries); and they cost 44.1 trillion property damage. However, even though major disasters have brought about tremendous human loss and property damage, Koreas National Disaster Medical System to rescue casualties is insufficient, and it has not been activated. Fortunately, through major disaster management process, the National Disaster Management System has been developed, increasing its own efficiency, and resulting in to organize an Office of Firefighting and Prevention of Disasters under the central government. Considering the value of human lives, the disaster medical part, in the U.S.A. as well as in Korea, must have an independent organization in the government, not as one sector of the government department. It will have its own organizational structure, such as disaster planning, operation, and logistics, and interact with central and local government or between local government agencies. So each agency will cooperate and supply resources interchangeably. Also, with the system of disaster management and restoration, the disaster medical system must be advanced in keeping step. Its role must be extended due to the possibility of biological terror or SARS around the world, resulting in severe casualties. Korea has the Emergency Medical Service System based on the regulation of emergency medical care, yet it is a part of the National Disaster Management System. It must be managed independently apart from it. As we see the emergency medical technicians playing as the backbone in disaster medical care in the US, we should have legal foundations for Koreas emergency medical technicians, emergency medical providers, to participate in rescue operation actively. At the same time, we need to have a national register system to classify disaster medical resources, and a total plan to place resources according to the impact of disaster, and how to organize teams. We also need to draw up a scheme to activate civil disaster medical resources, as integrating public and private or voluntary organizations.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.41-55
• /
• 1980

The medical care insurance system, being put into practice nearly for three years, seem to have brought about some considerable problems as serious for the government as to consider a revision of that system. As one of the most serious problems of present system, the treatment cost of insurance patients is so remarkably low in comparison with than of non-insurance cases that normal operation of hospitals is threatened and care services of low quality are induced. The researcher carried out this survey to analyze and bring to light several aspects of treatment cost of non-insurance patients as a material for a re-assessment of the cost of insurance cases which shows a a considerable difference in amount at the standpoint of hospitals with than of non-insurance cases and further, hoping the significant blind spot of present insurance system(that is, the absence of regulations' for cost assessment by patterns or types of health care treatment) will be mended in near future. The survey was carried out with the treatment invoice sheets of total 902 in-hospital Patients of a general hospital in Seoul during the period of the 2 nd quarter of the year(1979). Among total 902 patients, 694 cases were used for analysis, because those disease or syndromes shared by less than 10% of the patients were put aside before procession. The data were analyzed by kinds or types of diseases, demographic characteristics of patients, hospitalization patterns, types of nursing treatment, etc. The result of analysis was as follows 1. Among all the non-insurance cases, those who received one or more kinds of nursing treatment mounted up to 96. 7 ％. The invoice issue frequency per person was 7.2 times, while that frequency per day for a person was 0.8, : the treatment cosr per person was ￦22,650 while its daily average was ￦2,430, due to the average 9.3 in-hospital days per person. 2. As to the nursing treatment types by the demographic characteristics of patients and hospitalization patterns. a. The unit cost female patients was generally more expensive them that of males, and independent nursing service was more given than other types of treatment. As to age, higher age groups received independent nursing service most, while the youngest group received instrumental and integrated nursing services. b. As to room grade, the unit cost of I.C.U. cases was the highest : and the cast of private room patients was higher than that of public room patients. By in-hospital days, the curve of function showed L. type : that is, the longer stay, the lower function. 3. State of treatment types by kinds of disease were ; a. Dependent nursing service showed comparatively high availability in surgical and neurologic disease and independent nursing service was most received by medical, obstetrical and urological patients, while instrumental and integrated services were most available for respiratory disease and obstetrical and neurologic diseases next. b. The invoice issue frequency per day for a patient was highest in obstetrical disease 3.8 times, and the unit cost(per one invoice sheet) was also highest in obstertrical disease(￦10,880) and next in neurologic cases(￦ 4,690 ). 4. As to the pertained departments. a. Cost amount per person was highest in department of Psychiatries daily cost was highest in obstetrical cases : while the invoice issue frequency was highest in obstetrics and next in pediatrics. b. In departments in need of surgical operation, dependent nursing care was highly availabl : while in internal medicine and obstetrics, independent service was higher. Psychiatrics showed the highest the of integrate nursing while pediatrics and obstetrics higher of instrumental services. The variation co-efficien of treatment cost came out to be relatively in high in special surgery, opthalmology and internal medicine. 5. State of treatment cost by types of nursing behavior was. a. The average frequency of invoice issue was 3.5 (times). Among the type four types of treatment, instrumetal service (4.3) and independent nursing behavior(3.9) showed higher frequency than average respectively. But as to unit cost (per invoice). dependent (￦5,200) and integrated (￦5,340) nursing care services were higher than average and considerably higher than the other two types. b. In repect patient distribution. independent nursing behavior(80.3% ) was the highest and depend ent nursing (31.7% ) the lowest. The variation co-efficient of treatment cost appeared highest in dependent nursing be havior as a whole, and among that, doctor's diagnosis showed the highest coefficient value (100.7). In conclusion, the variaty of treatment cost(treatment itself ) by various characteristics and treatment types pro- that treatment various sort of patients and treatment cost of various types of nursing behavior cannot be uniform. Therefore, to attain the equalization of health care service and its cost both for insurant and non-insurant patients, a more specific provision for assessment of cost should be added to the present medical care insurance system and, in addition, the cost of nursing treatment is desired to be inserted into the treatment invoice.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.1293-1297
• /
• 2016

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a serious problem in Thailand, particularly in the northeastern and northern regions. Database of population at risk are need required for monitoring, surveillance, home health care, and home visit. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a geographic information system (GIS) database and Google map of the population at risk of CCA in Mueang Yang district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeastern Thailand during June to October 2015. Populations at risk were screened using the Korat CCA verbal screening test (KCVST). Software included Microsoft Excel, ArcGIS, and Google Maps. The secondary data included the point of villages, sub-district boundaries, district boundaries, point of hospital in Mueang Yang district, used for created the spatial databese. The populations at risk for CCA and opisthorchiasis were used to create an arttribute database. Data were tranfered to WGS84 UTM ZONE 48. After the conversion, all of the data were imported into Google Earth using online web pages www.earthpoint.us. Some 222 from a 4,800 population at risk for CCA constituted a high risk group. Geo-visual display available at following www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=zPxtcHv_iDLo.kvPpxl5mAs90&hl=th. Geo-visual display 5 layers including: layer 1, village location and number of the population at risk for CCA; layer 2, sub-district health promotion hospital in Mueang Yang district and number of opisthorchiasis; layer 3, sub-district district and the number of population at risk for CCA; layer 4, district hospital and the number of population at risk for CCA and number of opisthorchiasis; and layer 5, district and the number of population at risk for CCA and number of opisthorchiasis. This GIS database and Google map production process is suitable for further monitoring, surveillance, and home health care for CCA sufferers.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.305-320
• /
• 2020

Background and objective: The problem that follows the increase of dementia patients is the burden of caregivers caring for dementia patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of horticultural therapy programs improving the quality of life and reducing the depression and burden of caregivers of the elderly with dementia. Methods: In this study, 19 caregivers of the elderly with dementia were selected, and the experiment was conducted by dividing the control group (n=9) and the experimental group (n=10) by random distribution. The experimental group was given eight horticultural therapy programs twice a week for a total of 4 weeks. Subjects were assessed using the depression(CES-D), quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF), and care burden scales. The evaluation results were verified at a 95% significance level using descriptive statistics, the Mann-Whitney U test, and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: In the case of depression, the control group's score tended to increase, and the experimental group's score appeared to decrease, but it was not a statistically significant change. In the quality of life, the control group was not statistically significant, but scores decreased overall. On the other hand, in the experimental group, the general quality of life increased significantly from 11.60 to 14.20 points (p = .02), and the total quality of life increased to a marginally significant level from 61.59 points to 68.85 points (p = .059). In the post-test of the total care burden score, a marginally significant difference was found between the control group (94.44 points) and the experimental group (82.50 points; p = .079). Conclusion: This study confirmed the applicability to reduce the burden of caregiving and improve the deterioration of quality of life of the caregivers. In particular, the results will serve as an opportunity to confirm accessibility in a new way to support the caregiver of dementia patients by demonstrating the applicability of horticultural therapy at a time when problems such as the burden of supporting the caregiver are emerging as social problems.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• v.24 no.11
• /
• pp.1102-1113
• /
• 2023

Objective: To elucidate the use of radiological studies, including nuclear medicine, and biopsy for the diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer (PCA) in clinical practice and understand the current status of PCA in Asian countries via an international survey. Materials and Methods: The Asian Prostate Imaging Working Group designed a survey questionnaire with four domains focused on prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), other prostate imaging, prostate biopsy, and PCA backgrounds. The questionnaire was sent to 111 members of professional affiliations in Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan who were representatives of their working hospitals, and their responses were analyzed. Results: This survey had a response rate of 97.3% (108/111). The rates of using 3T scanners, antispasmodic agents, laxative drugs, and prostate imaging-reporting and data system reporting for prostate MRI were 21.6%-78.9%, 22.2%-84.2%, 2.3%-26.3%, and 59.5%-100%, respectively. Respondents reported using the highest b-values of 800-2000 sec/mm² and fields of view of 9-30 cm. The prostate MRI examinations per month ranged from 1 to 600, and they were most commonly indicated for biopsy-naïve patients suspected of PCA in Japan and Singapore and staging of proven PCA in Korea and Taiwan. The most commonly used radiotracers for prostate positron emission tomography are prostate-specific membrane antigen in Singapore and fluorodeoxyglucose in three other countries. The most common timing for prostate MRI was before biopsy (29.9%). Prostate-targeted biopsies were performed in 63.8% of hospitals, usually by MRI-ultrasound fusion approach. The most common presentation was localized PCA in all four countries, and it was usually treated with radical prostatectomy. Conclusion: This survey showed the diverse technical details and the availability of imaging and biopsy in the evaluation of PCA. This suggests the need for an educational program for Asian radiologists to promote standardized evidence-based imaging approaches for the diagnosis and staging of PCA.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
• /
• v.6 no.3
• /
• pp.257-266
• /
• 2011

Purpose : To assess the relationship between post-stroke shoulder pain, motor function, and pain-related quality of life(QOL) Methods : Volunteer sample of 62 chronic stroke survivors with post-stroke shoulder pain and glenohumeral subluxation. The patients answered the question in shoulder pain with the Brief Pain Inventory question 12 (BP1-12), Pain-related Quality of life(BPI-23). Therapists measured the performance of combined upper-limb movement including the hand-behind-neck(HBN), hand-behind-beck(HBB) maneuver, added passive pain-free shoulder external rotation range of motion, and Modified Ashworth Scale(MAS) score of the elbow flexors. Physical performance assessments were used to measure basic activity daily living(Modified Barthel Index-self care, MBI-S/C), motor function of upper limb(Fugl-Meyer Upper/Lower Extremity, FM-U/E). Results : Stepwise regression analyses indicated that post-stroke shoulder pain is associated with the BPI 23, but not with the FM-U/E, MBI-S/C. Thus, the presence of shoulder pain is more important predicting pain-related QOL than its degree in predicting motor function of upper limb and basic activity daily living. Conclusion : Post-stroke shoulder pain was associated with reduced quality of life related to pain. The pain was not associated with the motor function of upper limb and basic activity daily living. The result imply that management of shoulder pain & anatomical position of shoulder joint after stroke should be emphasized. This provides a further incentive to develop effective rehabilitation prevention and treatment strategies for post-stroke shoulder pain.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.185-190
• /
• 2020

The rapid aging is increasing as the shortage of medical facilities and the resulting of decline in the quality of public health. In order to ease the burden of rising medical expenses, advanced medical institutions are expanding their remote medical care to lower the cost of services. U-healthcare detects the changes in physical and chemical phenomena occurring in the human body and converts them into electrical signals that can be processed and feeds back to the results through analytical and visualization processes to select only the desired information from the measured signals. The service is provided through a process of providing an alarm to a user. However, traditional biometric methods of attaching sensors directly to the body can be annoying and rejected in daily life. Therefore, there is a need for a method of continuously measuring biometric information without causing inconvenience to daily life. In this paper, we propose an IR-UWB-based non-contact and non-responsive respiratory measurement system that can continuously monitor biological information without any inconveniences to daily life.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.11 no.6
• /
• pp.275-287
• /
• 2013

This study aims to derive implications on current problems in the nursing manpower management in Korea through the comparison with the nursing workforce and employmentrent in the United States and Japan. There are various issues in nursing policy, such as nursing shortage, quality of the nursing service, and the increased cost of management due to the high turnover rate of nursing staffs and it is urgent to seek various policy measures to resolve this. Although nursing shortage is a commom problem in the world, the U.S. and Japan were higher rate of employment than Korea in nursing staffs, which implicates the importance of the legislation of mandatory minimum staffing ratios, the establishment of policies such as the fees and charge policy and the nursing work environments. For quality nursing care and patient safety through the stable workforce of qualified nursing staffs, administrative mechanisms that support adequate nurse staffing and promote positive work conditions are needed, for which the improvement of legal system is required.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.33-42
• /
• 2017

Purpose: This study examined the effects of the fumanet exercise program on the cognitive function and fall down-related physical fitness factor in elderly people. Method: The study period was May 2-June 24, 2016. The participants included 20 elderly persons (control group 10, experimental group 10) who registered at the day-care Center in G. City. Descriptive statistics were used for the analysis of the control and experimental groups' general characteristics. The chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests were conducted to identify the two groups' general characteristics' and dependent variables' homogeneity. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the pre-and post-intervention cognitive function and fall down-related physical fitness factor, and a Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze the rate of cognitive function and fall down-related physical fitness factor changes between the groups after the intervention. Result: The participants' fall down-related physical fitness factors (balance, gait, leg strength) increased and memory in the cognitive function sub-area improved in the participants who participated in the fumanet exercise program. The amount of change in gait was significantly different between the control and experimental groups. Conclusion: The fumanet exercise program included gait training using the learn, remember and repeat phased steps. Therefore, this study proposes using the fumanet exercise program to improve the elderly's cognitive function and physical fitness factor.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.27-38
• /
• 2017

The purpose of this study was to ascertain new policies fo the development of the Korean Hospital Accreditation Program (HAP) by comparing and reviewing the domestic HAP of Korea, the U. S. and Australia as well as the International Accreditation Program of the International Society for Health Care Quality. The results of this study are as follows. First, it is necessary to improve the standards of the HAP such as 'patient and community centered standards' and 'staffing related standards'. Second, it is necessary to strengthen patient safety through the HAP. Third, the linkage among the HAP, clinical indicators and patient experience evaluation should be strengthened. Fourth, the competencies of surveyors should be improved. Fifth, the HAP of small and medium hospitals also needs to be vitalized. Sixth, it is necessary to improve the disclosure of the healthcare quality evaluation results. The findings of this study can be used as a basis to improve the Korean HAP.