• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.768-783
• /
• 2009

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to analyze dental records performed through a dental hygiene process and provide basic data on clinical training education for dental hygienists. Methods : The dental hygiene records of 440 senior dental hygiene students in Y University from March 2005 to September 2008, were examined. The needs of the clients confirmed by the dental hygiene diagnosis was based on Human Need Theory. The client's needs and the number of visits were analyzed according to the general characteristics(gender, age). The contents of the dental hygiene implementation performed according to the needs were divided into dental hygiene care and oral health education. The dental hygiene evaluation was classified into 'Met of Goal', 'Partially Met of Goal', and 'Unmet of Goal' according to the dental hygiene diagnosis. Data analysis was performed for the Frequency statistics and a Fisher's exact test using SPSS 12.0K for Windows. Results : 1. The clients were mostly aged in their 20's(307 clients). 2. The dental hygiene care usually performed was 'Scaling' and 'Recommendation to visit a dental clinic', and the education performed was 'How to brush teeth'. The implementation result from the need to Freedom of Stress was as simple as 'Be careful when treating' and 'Explanation of medical treatment and tools'. 3. The dental hygiene evaluation showed a higher met rate in the field of education than in that of the dental hygiene care. The reason for unmet the goal was 'Lack of the client's efforts and they didn't visit dental clinic'. Conclusions : The search for a range of clients for dental hygiene process should be made through effective connections between the local community institutions and schools. It was suggested that they should be strength the practical exercises for clients suffering dental anxiety and stress in dental treatments. In addition, education and attempts to motivate the clients should be performed according to their characteristics.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
• /
• v.10 no.5
• /
• pp.75-82
• /
• 2020

This study is a descriptive research study to identify Unmet Dementia Information Needs (UDIN) for caregivers of dementia patients at Dementia Relief Center and to understand the effectiveness of the program for workers. The subjects were 114 caregivers and 217 practitioners from dementia relief centers in 25 autonomous districts of S city from November 1, 2019 to January 31, 2020. The UDIN questionnaire is a 7-point Likert scale. The Crisis Management Questionnaire is a Likert 5-point scale consisting of 10 questions from 6 categories. As a result of the study, the proportion of depressed caregivers experiencing UDIN was 12.3times higher than those who did not (p<.001). The program effectiveness was 8.98times better than those who perceived the lack of risk management as good (p=.004), and social workers were 2.81times better than nurses (p=.091). It is necessary to conduct interactive operations to meet the needs of the community residents by listening to their diverse opinions rather than simply implementing a one-sided policy to raise the service of a dementia relief center to the highest level in a short period of time.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
• /
• v.10 no.5
• /
• pp.177-187
• /
• 2020

The purpose of this study was to classify the care needs of the older adults aged 65 and over and to identify characteristics of care need groups. This was a secondary analysis study using data from 2017 National Survey of Older Persons in Seoul. There were 50.4% in the general group without any support needs, 17.9% in the medical needs group, 14.2% in the welfare needs group with support needs of daily living or social activity, and 17.5% in the complex needs group with both medical and welfare needs. Significant differences were shown in most variables of the general characteristics, grading of long-term care or disability, financial burden and caregiving, health behaviors, health status, and life satisfactions among groups (p<.001). The complex care need group should be provided with integrated care service for medical and welfare through multidisciplinary team approach.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.44 no.3
• /
• pp.386-398
• /
• 2020

Tissue fibrosis is an eventual pathologic change of numerous chronic illnesses, which is characterized by resident fibroblasts differentiation into myofibroblasts during inflammation, coupled with excessive extracellular matrix deposition in tissues, ultimately leading to failure of normal organ function. Now, there are many mechanistic insights into the pathogenesis of tissue fibrosis, which facilitate the discovery of effective antifibrotic drugs. Moreover, many chronic diseases remain a significant clinical unmet need. For the past five years, many research works have undoubtedly addressed the functional dependency of ginsenosides in different types of fibrosis and the successful remission in various animal models treated with ginsenosides. Caveolin-1, interleukin, thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), liver X receptors (LXRs), Nrf2, microRNA-27b, PPARδ-STAT3, liver kinase B1 (LKB1)-AMPK, and TGF-β1/Smads are potential therapy targeting using ginsenosides. Ginsenosides can play a targeting role and suppress chronic inflammatory response, collagen deposition, and epitheliale-mesenchymal transition (EMT), as well as myofibroblast activation to attenuate fibrosis. In this report, our aim was to focus on the therapeutic prospects of ginsenosides in fibrosis-related human diseases making use of results acquired from various animal models. These findings should provide important therapeutic clues and strategies for the exploration of new drugs for fibrosis treatment.

• Korean Circulation Journal
• /
• v.52 no.6
• /
• pp.414-428
• /
• 2022

Although tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a general medical issue with growing prevalence and socioeconomic burden, most clinicians have not paid much attention to TR in the past. Several problems of TR have been pointed out in clinical practice, which include: ambiguous clinical manifestations and the difficulty in initial detection, limitations in generally used diagnostic tools, the absence of objective criterion for therapeutic intervention, high operative morbidity and mortality, and lack of long-term clinical data after the intervention for TR. Therefore, patients with TR usually visit clinicians at a much-advanced state, and this delay gives a major dilemma in clinical decision-making in a routine clinical practice. To improve the clinical outcome of TR, we need more knowledge about TR for solving the current problems and making strategies for better clinical practice. With this background, we have discussed in the present article about the pathophysiology of TR and the problems frequently experienced by clinical physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of TR. Furthermore, we have discussed the future strategy to improve the treatment of TR.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.141-150
• /
• 2019

Despite the development of assisted reproduction technologies (ART) including in vitro fertilization (IVF), the poor ovarian response and endometrial receptivity remains clinically a major unmet need. Although these problems are difficulties to solve in infertility treatment, there are no good therapeutic option yet. Traditional herbal remedies and acupuncture, therefore are being proposed as alternative treatment. Our group found that traditional herbal medicines such as Paeonia lactiflora L.(PL, 芍藥), Cyperus rotundus L.(CR, 香附子), and Perilla frutescens (PF, 紫蘇葉) could improve endometrial receptivity. In this study, we found out Yeosin-san (如神散) as an optimal herbal formula via combination of the previously established herbal medicines. Yeosin-san is a traditional Korean medical formula which was established by Ziming Jin (陳自明) and recorded in Furendaiquanliangfang (婦人大全良方) at first. The formula traditionally used for treating abnormal uterine bleeding and leukorrhea. It showed a highest effect on leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) expression and on the adhesion between trophoblastic cells and endometrial cells. In addition, it has been shown that the Yeosin-san not only increases the endometrial receptivity to improve the embryo implantation but also enhances the ovary function by expressing the angiogenesis-related genes. Here we suggest that Yeosin-san could be a novel and effective candidate for treating female infertility.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.67 no.4
• /
• pp.385-396
• /
• 2024

Previously, we reported the concept of a cloud-based telemedicine platform for patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) at local emergency rooms in rural and medically underserved areas in Gangwon state by combining artificial intelligence and remote consultation with a neurosurgeon. Developing a telemedicine ICH treatment protocol exclusively for doctors with less ICH expertise working in emergency rooms should be part of establishing this system. Difficulties arise in providing appropriate early treatment for ICH in rural and underserved areas before the patient is transferred to a nearby hub hospital with stroke specialists. This has been an unmet medical need for decades. The available reporting ICH guidelines are realistically applicable in university hospitals with a well-equipped infrastructure. However, it is very difficult for doctors inexperienced with ICH treatment to appropriately select and deliver ICH treatment based on the guidelines. To address these issues, we developed an ICH telemedicine protocol. Neurosurgeons from four university hospitals in Gangwon state first wrote the guidelines, and professors with extensive ICH expertise across the country revised them. Guidelines and recommendations for ICH management were described as simply as possible to allow more doctors to use them easily. We hope that our effort in developing the telemedicine protocols will ultimately improve the quality of ICH treatment in local emergency rooms in rural and underserved areas in Gangwon state.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.19-27
• /
• 2022

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a receptor tyrosine kinase widely expressed in many cancers such as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, and head and neck cancer. Mutations such as L858R in exon 21, exon 19 truncation (Del19), exon 20 insertions, and others are responsible for aberrant activation of EGFR in NSCLC. First-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) such as gefitinib and erlotinib have clinical benefits for EGFR-sensitive (L858R and Del19) NSCLC patients. However, after 10-12 months of treatment with these inhibitors, a secondary T790M mutation at the gatekeeper position in the kinase domain of EGFR was identified, which limited the clinical benefits. Second-generation EGFR irreversible inhibitors (afatinib and dacomitinib) were developed to overcome this T790M mutation. However, their lack of selectivity toward wild-type EGFR compromised their clinical benefits due to serious adverse events. Recently developed third-generation irreversible EGFR TKIs (osimertinib and lazertinib) are selective toward driving mutations and the T790M mutation, while sparing wild-type EGFR activity. The latest studies have concluded that their efficacy was also compromised by additional acquired mutations, including C797S, the key residue cysteine that forms covalent bonds with irreversible inhibitors. Because second- and third-generation EGFR TKIs are irreversible inhibitors, they are not effective against C797S containing EGFR triple mutations (Del19/T790M/C797S and L858R/T790M/C797S). Therefore, there is an urgent unmet medical need to develop next-generation EGFR TKIs that selectively inhibit EGFR triple mutations via a non-irreversible mechanism.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.226-234
• /
• 2021

Purpose: The accessibility of medical facilities for cancer patients affects both their comfort and survival. Patients in rural areas have a higher socioeconomic burden and are more vulnerable to emergency situations than urban dwellers. This study examined the feasibility and effectiveness of a cancer care model integrating a regional cancer center (RCC) and public health center (PHC). Methods: This study analyzed the construction of a safety care network for cancer patients that integrated an RCC and PHC. Two public health institutions (an RCC in Gyeongnam and a PHC in Geochang County) collaborated on the development of the community care model. The study lasted 13 months beginning in February 2019 to February 2020. Results: The RCC developed the protocol for evaluating and measuring 27 cancer-related symptoms, conducted education for PHC nurses, and administered case counseling. The staff at the PHC registered, evaluated, and routinely monitored patients through home visits. A smartphone application and regular video conferences were incorporated to facilitate mutual communication. In total, 177 patients (mean age: 70.9 years; men: 59%) were enrolled from February 2019 to February 2020. Patients' greatest unmet need was the presence of a nearby cancer treatment hospital (83%). In total, 28 (33%) and 44 (52%) participants answered that the care model was very helpful or helpful, respectively. Conclusion: We confirmed that a combined RCC-PHC program for cancer patients in rural areas is feasible and can bring satisfaction to patients as a safety care network. This program could mitigate health inequalities caused by accessibility issues.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.1419-1424
• /
• 2012

Objectives: To investigate in depth the use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) by cancer patients at the end-of-life (EOL) and how they communicate with physicians about them. Design and location: In 17 hospitals in Korea between January and December 2004 we identified 4,042 families of cancer patients. Results: The prevalence of CAM use among cancer patients at the EOL was 37.0%, and 93.1% had used pharmacologic types of agents. The most frequent motive for CAM use was the recommendation of friends or a close relative (53.4%) or a physician (1.6%). Only 42.5% discussed CAM use with their physicians. Satisfaction with CAMS was recalled for 37.1%. The most common reason given for that satisfaction was improvement of emotional or physical well-being, while ineffectiveness was the most common reason given for dissatisfaction. The average cost of CAM during the last month of life was $US 900. CAM use was associated with longer disease periods, primary cancers other than liver, biliary, and pancreatic, and need of support from physicians or religion. Conclusions: CAM use among cancer patients at the EOL was common, not discussed with physicians, and associated with expectation of cure. Expectations were generally unmet while the treatments were a financial burden. Further studies evaluating the effects of CAM at the EOL and factors that enhance communication with the physician are needed.