• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.59-75
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the current status of Korean medicine health technology assessment and explore realistic plans to activate it. Methods: We investigated all the applications for new health technology assessment related to Korean medicine from 2007 to 2016. The several expert meetings were held to draw out the barriers and improvement strategies of the new health technology assessment of Korean medicine field. Results: There were 31 cases in total except for duplications or reapplies falling into 3 main types. First, 19 of them were to try to enter a medical market and be covered by National Health Insurance. Eight cases were to apply western medicine technology as new health technology in Korean medicine area. The rest was 4 cases, which were totally not appropriate for the purpose of new health technology assessment system. According to the expert opinion, the obstacles of activation in new health technology assessment of Korean medicine were application of unstandardized technology, lack of understanding and experience, lack of clinical trial supporting system for Korean medicine, lack of committee members within the nHTA(new Health Technology Assessment) review board, ambiguous definition of medical practice and sharp conflict between western medicine and Korean medicine. Conclusions: Several suggestions were derived. First of all, to activate Korean medicine in the nHTA system, the existing system should be used sufficiently, and multifaceted efforts are needed to upgrade the system, if necessary. Also, self-help efforts, Korean medicine clinical trial supporting system and increasing R&D investment, establishing extra-committee for Korean medicine in nHTA could be needed. Finally, long-term strategy for improving collaboration between Korean medicine and western medicine should be considered.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.484-492
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• 2011

Purpose: The aims of study were; (1) to evaluate the validity and sensitivity of a fall-risk assessment tool, and (2) to establish continuous quality improvement (CQI) methods to monitor the effective use of the risk assessment tool. Methods: A retrospective case-control cohort design was used. Analysis was conducted for 90 admissions as cases and 3,716 as controls during the 2006 and 2007 calendar years was conducted. Fallers were identified from the hospital’s Accident Reporting System, and non-fallers were selected by randomized selection. Accuracy estimates, sensitivity analysis and logistic regression were used. Results: At the lower cutoff score of one, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were 82.2%, 19.3%, 0.03%, and 96.9%, respectively. The area under the ROC was 0.60 implying poor prediction. Logistic regression analysis showed that five out of nine constitutional items; age, history of falls, gait problems, and confusion were significantly associated with falls. Based on these results, we suggested a tailored falls CQI process with specific indexes. Conclusion: The fall-risk assessment tool was found to need considerable reviews for its validity and usage problems in practice. It is also necessary to develop protocols for use and identify strategies that reflect changes in patient conditions during hospital stay.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.381-396
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• 2010

It is essential to consider strategies, spatial planning, and reflection of sustainability for the creation of sound urban spaces. To this end, there is a need for plans that can secure better sustainability through strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of plans. This study examined the literature and available precedent to develop a SEA model for administrative plans for urban development including metropolitan plans, urban master plans and urban management plans. In the course of development of the model, environmental issues associated with the urban plans were analyzed by classifying them into ten categories, including "spatial planning," "conservation planning," "greenbelt systems," "habitats." and etc. according to their rank. Furthermore, those issues were reflected on the development of environmental evaluation indices for the plans. Overall and detailed environmental indices that can be applied to the administrative plans for urban development including metropolitan plans, urban master plans and urban management plans were devised for five stages: (1) Establishment of development goals and strategy, (2) Analysis of current status and characteristics, (3) Conceptualization of spatial structure, (4) Planning for each department, and (5) Execution and management. Sub plans are more detailed and concrete. Criteria based on the evaluation indices, when performing evaluations on plans based on each environmental assessment index in reference to experts and the literature, were used to forecast their effects, i.e. whether they had a positive, negative, or no effect or relationship, or whether their effects was uncertain. Based on the forecasts, this study then presents means to establish more improvable plans. Furthermore, by synthesis of the effects according to each index and integration of the process, plans were analyzed overall. This study reflects the characteristics of the present time period based on issues in the SEA process and techniques in upper level administrative plans being newly established, and presents them according to the stage of each plan. Furthermore, by forecasting the effect of plans by stage, this study presents proposals for improvement, and in this aspect, can be meaningful in promoting plan improvements through SEA.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.1710-1715
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• 2010

Service life of water pipes buried in the underground is considerably affected from various factors such as environmental characteristics, pipe characteristics, operation and maintenance, etc. Therefore it is difficult to determine their service life as uniformly the same value assigned by related laws and ordinances. As a result, the service life should be determined by the technical judgement based on the assessment for the condition of water pipes. In this study, It was established that the methodology could predict present and future failure risk, and plan short and long-term strategies for replacement/rehabilitation through the assessment for the physical deterioration and economical values of buried water pipe. The methodology was applied for the verification and reliability to several sites selected in multi-regional transmission pipelines. The proposed method could helps to support reasonable and economical decision of rehabilitation/replacement in the present and future. To improve conventional assessment method of aged water pipes, affecting factors are simplified based on the statistical analysis results from the measured data in the field and the physical deterioration mechanism for better reliability. Also, the guide-line is developed to carry out the reasonal rehabilitation planning through water pipe condition assessment.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.192-199
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• 2003

The Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education has been developed in both quantitative and qualitative aspects during twenty years since first published year 1983. This study was intended to survey the research trend of the journals, which has been published so far. It will give an orientation of science education research and suggestions towards research to improve science education. The 243 articles of the journals, which were published from 1983 to 2002 by Korean Elementary Science Education Society, were classified into 7 categories including science teaching, science learning, assessment in science, science teacher education, science curriculum, educational facilities & materials, and general science education. The results are as follows: 1. The articles published last decade are increased four times compared with the first decade. 2. The half of articles published so far concentrated on science teaching and learning. The articles on educational facilities & materials or general science education are few. 3. During the last decade, the articles on science teacher education, educational facilities & materials, assessment in science, and science learning relatively increased than the first decade. The number of articles on science curriculum was fluctuated every five years. 4. Most of articles were focused on the narrow subject areas. For example, the articles on science teaching, science learning, assessment in science, science teacher education, science curriculum, and educational facilities & materials were largely focused on the teaching strategies, pupils' conception, affective assessment and teaching practice survey, teachers' appreciation about the nature of science or instruction, analysis of science textbooks, development of the experimental materials or the audiovisual aids respectively. 5. The subject areas highlighted so far in science education, for example, inquiry or experimental activities, STS instruction, environmental education, gifted education, instruction with multimedia, problem-solving or reasoning, experimental skill assessment, etc. were not much researched.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.397-409
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• 2011

This study was carried out for improving the effectiveness of water resources development project through local resident opinions in the environmental impact assessment(EIA). The EIA reports of seven dams were examined. Four dams -Youngju Dam, Seongduck Dam, Buhang Dam and Hantangang Dam- which included many local opinions including 470 opinions of 341 local residents were selected to be analyzed. Local residents submitted their opinions in the six fields which are meteorological phenomena, water quality, land use, fauna and flora, noise and vibration, and residence, and the major opinions of those opinions came from the atmosphere environment field which is 32% of total opinions and social and economic field which is 38% of total opinions, respectively. In submerged area, opinions of the measure for migration and compensation were 91% and in non-submerged area, opinions of the measure for meteorological phenomena was 86%. Those percentages were maximum in each area. Opinions concerned meteorological phenomena were 86% and 53% in Youngju Dam and Seongduck Dam where area is surrounded by existing dam, but there was only 9% and 0% of opinions in Buhang Dam and Hantangang Dam where area is without existing dam nearby. The reformation methods which reflected the resident's opinions were suggested on EIA in dam development projects. First of all, reliability and objectivity of the field of meteorological phenoma should be enhanced by scientific prediction of the phenomenon days. Secondly, techniques reducing uncertainty of various water quality prediction models ought to be developed and effectiveness of the reduction strategies in environmental impact should be quantified. Finally, the draft of EIA report should involve the detailed plans of migration and compensation's procedures, criteria and measures to support.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.163-172
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• 2010

The purposes of this study were to assess hospital foodservice quality and to identify causes of quality problems and improvement strategies. Based on the review of literature, hospital foodservice quality was defined and the Hospital Foodservice Quality model was presented. The study was conducted in two steps. In Step 1, nutritional standards specified on diet manuals and nutrients of planned menus, served meals, and consumed meals for regular, diabetic, and low-sodium diets were assessed in three general hospitals. Quality problems were found in all three hospitals since patients consumed less than their nutritional requirements. Considering the effects of four gaps in the Hospital Foodservice Quality model, Gaps 3 and 4 were selected as critical control points (CCPs) for hospital foodservice quality management. In Step 2, the causes of the gaps and improvement strategies at CCPs were labeled as "quality hazards" and "corrective actions", respectively and were identified using a case study. At Gap 3, inaccurate forecasting and a lack of control during production were identified as quality hazards and corrective actions proposed were establishing an accurate forecasting system, improving standardized recipes, emphasizing the use of standardized recipes, and conducting employee training. At Gap 4, quality hazards were menus of low preferences, inconsistency of menu quality, a lack of menu variety, improper food temperatures, and patients' lack of understanding of their nutritional requirements. To reduce Gap 4, the dietary departments should conduct patient surveys on menu preferences on a regular basis, develop new menus, especially for therapeutic diets, maintain food temperatures during distribution, provide more choices, conduct meal rounds, and provide nutrition education and counseling. The Hospital Foodservice Quality Model was a useful tool for identifying causes of the foodservice quality problems and improvement strategies from a holistic point of view.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.2607-2612
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• 2014

Background: Cancer screening rates in Japan are much lower than those in Western countries. This study evaluated the relationship between cancer screening rates and strategies used to improve screening rates, and determined which strategy is the most effective. Materials and Methods: All municipalities are responsible for conducting gastric, lung, colorectal, cervical, and breast cancer screenings in Japan. Of the 1,746 municipalities in total, 92-99% were included in the analyses for each cancer screening. Using national data in 2009, the correlations between cancer screening rates and strategies for improving screening rates of all municipalities, both large (populations of over 30,000) and small (populations of under 30,000), were determined. The strategies used were as follows: sending personal invitation letters, personal visits by community health workers, use of a clinical setting for screening, and free screening. Results: Of all four strategies used to improve cancer screening rates, sending personal invitation letters had the highest correlations with all screening rates, with the exception of breast cancer screening. The partial correlation coefficients linking this strategy with the screening rates in all municipalities were 0.28, 0.32, 0.30, and 0.26 for gastric, lung, colorectal, and cervical cancer screening, respectively. In large municipalities, the correlations between the number of examinees in a clinical setting and the screening rates were also relatively high, particularly for cervical cancer screening (r=0.41). Conclusions: Sending personal invitation letters appears to be particularly effective in improving cancer screening rates in all municipalities. All municipalities should implement a system that sends personal invitation letters for cancer screening. In large municipalities, increasing the availability of screening in a clinical setting is also effective in improving cancer screening rates.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.43 no.10
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• pp.936-942
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• 2015

This paper suggests the significant strategies and their priority to deal with space transportation market trends. First, market trends related with technical improvement and change in demand are analyzed by the literature research. The three key trends are obtained: 'Increasing Demand of High-Performance Launch Vehicles', 'Rising of Low-Price Launch Vehicles', and 'Rising of Dual/Multi-Launch'. And then, strategies for developing the launch vehicle industry in Korea are selected from several studies about commercialization of Korean launch vehicle. The strategies are evaluated by the experts through pairwise comparison matrix and the criteria for this process is how significantly does the strategy effect on the launch vehicle industry through market assessment. As a result, reliable order of priority among the strategies are obtained. Under the three key trends, strategy to enhance reliability is most important. And, strategy to have price competitiveness has secondary priority to deal with 'Rising of Low-Price Launch Vehicles' trend and 'Rising of Dual/Multi-Launch' trend. On the contrary, strategy of government's support is secondary under 'Increasing Demand of High-Performance Launch Vehicles' trend.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.31-48
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• 2005

Purpose: Studies focus on cancer control, prevention, or assessment of psychosocial problems and intervention methods. However, few studies exist concerning psychosocial problems, measuring tools for those problems, and interventions for cancer patients in Korea. One of the purposes of this study was to review studies in this area, to examine various psychosocial problems experienced by cancer patients. This is a crucial area to investigate, since psychosocial problems in turn negatively influence the patients' immune function, which speeds the progress of the disease. Another goal was to identify instruments used to measure psychosocial functioning and problems in cancer patients, to analyze their validity and reliability, with the aim to discover the best instruments. A final goal was to explore and compare the effects of psychosocial interventions, to determine the most effective practices. Method: Journal articles published since 1995 were searched from PubMed Data base, Google search engine, and published cancer-related studies, using search keywords "psychosocial function and intervention for the cancer patients"; whole articles of selected references were reviewed and analyzed. Result: Most common psychosocial problems were depression, fatigue, nausea, pain, distress, resulting in a low quality of life. The seven scales found in the literature to assess the psychosocial functioning were Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Symptom Checklist 90-R, Profile of Mood States, Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale, Brief Symptom Inventory, and SF-36 HRQOL(Health Related Quality of Life). Social support interventions for cancer patients were effective in improving quality of life scores. Conclusion: It is necessary to apply support intervention strategies to help cancer patients in Korea. These strategies can help to reduce the effects of psychosocial symptoms, which in turn affect the development and control of cancer. Strategies developed in Western countries may need to be modified for use within Korea. Further studies are warranted to review the support intervention strategies that were being used to for cancer patients