• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.254-264
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• 2015

Background: Pain medicine often requires medico-legal involvement, even though diagnosis and treatments have improved considerably. Multiple guidelines for pain physicians contain many recommendations regarding interventional treatment. Unfortunately, no definite treatment guidelines exist because there is no complete consensus among individual guidelines. Pain intervention procedures are widely practiced and highly associated with adverse events and complications. However, a comprehensive, systemic review of medical-dispute cases (MDCs) in Korea has not yet been reported. The purpose of this article is to analyze the frequency and type of medical dispute activity undertaken by pain specialists in Korea. Methods: Data on medical disputes cases were collected through the Korea Medical Association mutual aid and through a private medical malpractice liability insurance company. Data regarding the frequency and type of MDCs, along with brief case descriptions, were obtained. Results: Pain in the lumbar region made up a major proportion of MDCs and compensation costs. Infection, nerve injury, and diagnosis related cases were the most major contents of MDCs. Only a small proportion of cases involved patient death or unconsciousness, but compensation costs were the highest. Conclusions: More systemic guidelines and recommendations on interventional pain management are needed, especially those focused on medico-legal cases. Complications arising from pain management procedures and treatments may be avoided by physicians who have the required knowledge and expertise regarding anatomy and pain intervention procedures and know how to recognize procedural aberrations as soon as they occur.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.23-39
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• 2013

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate practical experiences of telemedicine of community health practitioners(CHPs). Methods: Qualitative data were collected by in-depth interviews from 10 CHPs who have experiences in managing telemedicine system. All interviews were recorded and transcribed according to qualitative conventional content analysis processes. Results: As a result, 32 themes were deduced and 11 theme clusters and 3 categories were formed and each coding categories were derived directly from the text data. 11 theme clusters derived from the 32 meaningful themes were as follows: Human resources, equipments and systems, computer program (Input resources), human resource management, patient registration and management, medication, laboratory test (Progress), benefits in telemedicine system managing, difficulties in telemedicine system managing, complains in telemedicine system managing, client responses to telemedicine system (Outcome evaluation). 3 categories derived 11 theme clusters were 'input', 'progress', and 'outcome evaluation'. Conclusions: This study has contributed to the understanding of operation of telemedicine by CHPs in community health posts. For more systematic and comprehensive management, further study should be conducted to reflect experience and positions of public health center physicians, collaborative hospital physician and patients.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.39-49
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• 2022

Purposes: This study purposed to analyze the relationship between patient safety and patient-centerendess. Methodology: The comprehensive scores from patient safety assessment program and patient experience survey conducted by Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service were used as independent variables and dependent variables. This study analyzed the relationship between 4 patient safety-related areas(i.e. risk standardized readmission ratio, intensive care unit, preventive antibiotic, the drug evaluation) and 6 patient experience areas(i.e. nurse services, doctor services, medication & treatment, hospital environment, patient's right, overall experience) by using robust regression analysis. Findings: According to results, the score in 'patient's right' and 'risk standardized readmission ratio' areas were found to have a significant relationship, and 'overall experience' and the 'preventive antibiotic' areas. The ratio of senior beds and specialists was a general characteristics of hospitals that had a significant relationship on patient experience assessment. Practical Implication: The relationships between patient safety and patient experience assessment were varied depending on areas. Further study is needed to make clear the supposed relationship.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.56-66
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• 2004

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to verify a change for family nursing phenomena and satisfaction of clients of vulnerable families in an urban community. Methods: The study subjects were 711 families, randomly selected, who had chronic diseases(arthritis diabetes, stroke, hypertension, mental disease, cancer, dementia) with basic social welfare services from the nation and had disabled persons in an urban community, South Korea. The instruments used were the family nursing phenomena in Korea by ICNP and client satisfaction. Client satisfaction consisted of client satisfaction on home visiting nurses(4 Likert scales) and home visiting services(3 Likert scales). Results: The average visiting number is 3.82. The service number of education and counseling is 3.16, patient and symptom management 3.08, assessment and diagnosis 3.08, test 2.02, medication service 1.71회, dressing 1.01, referral to social welfare institute 1.00회, referral to medical service institute 0.21. In both, pre home visiting and post home visiting, the highest rated phenomenon was the 'lack of social support system' and following that 'deficit of financial management skill and support'. 'lack of family interaction in community', and 'social isolation' 'unhealthy life style' and 'inadequate care management of sick member', in that order. The percentages of phenomena besides 'deficit of financial management skill and support' decreased. The satisfaction level of clients towards the nurses was 3.27 points on a scale of 4, and the nursing services was 2.70 points on a scale of 3. Conclusion: Home visiting nursing services should continue to provide comprehensive healthcare services and support for vulnerable families, in urban communities.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.166-175
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• 2002

Recently many researches support the use of traditional psychiatric treatments in the management of chronic pain. Chronic pain is a significant public health problem and frustrating to everyone affected by it. Psychiatrists offer skills with treatments now recognized as effective in the management of chronic pain. In addition to the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric co-morbidity, the application of psychological treatments to chronic pain, and the development of interdisciplinary efforts to provide comprehensive health care to the patient disabled with chronic pain, psychiatrists have particular skill in pharmacological treatment that have proven efficacy for a variety of chronic pain conditions. With their expertise in the use of psychoactive medication plus their interest in the personal and family dynamics of patients, psychiatrists have the capacity to be involved in the treatment of patients with chronic pain. So, the author reported three cases of patient with pain disorder associated with psychological factors, and reviewed to propose that psychiatrists in Korea should take an active role in the care of these patients.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.456-477
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• 2024

Background: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) both require long-term management, and patients with asthma-COPD overlap (ACO) need comprehensive and prolonged care beyond pharmacotherapy. However, due to limited research on ACO, treatment strategies and long-term outcomes remain unclear. This highlights the need for further multidisciplinary research to improve ACO treatment and prognosis. Case Presentation: This case report describes a patient who presented with symptoms of cough, sputum, wheezing, dyspnea, and oral dryness. The patient was diagnosed with ACO and received a combination of Korean medicine treatments alongside standard asthma medication for 15 days. Standardized tools were used to evaluate symptoms and quality of life, respectively. After treatment, Medical Research Council scale, Leicester cough questionnaire Korean-Version and Numerical Rating Score demonstrated clinically meaningful improvement, and Total IgE and Eosinophils were slightly decreased. Conclusion: This case suggests Korean medicine treatments might be effective in managing symptoms in patients with ACO and enhancing quality of life.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.741-762
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to identify the Nutrition Quotient for Elderly(NQ-E) of the elderly living in the community and to investigate the characteristics of living conditions affecting the nutritional status of the elderly. The subjects of the survey were 1,970 elderly single elderly households aged 65 and over in the nationwide through convenience sampling method. A survey cooperative system was established with Comprehensive Support Center for Elderly Living Alone, and the 25 social welfare institutions. 385 Life Managers for Elderly Living Alone participated as a survey agent. As a result, NQ-E was 51.14 points, which is the lowest level in the NQ-E, and the explanatory power was 20.1% in multiple regression analysis. Significant variables were age, sex, subjective health status, low number of medication, non-smoker, non-alcoholic, satisfactory economic status, academic status, and the interaction with family and neighbors. Based on this result, this study explains that comprehensive measures of nutritional management for the elderly living alone needs to be sought.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.552-558
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• 2015

Background The Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS) is characterized by three clinical features, namely cutaneous capillary malformations, venous malformations, and soft tissue and/or bony hypertrophy of the extremities. The varied manifestations are attributed to the unpredictable clinical nature and prognosis of the syndrome. To elucidate the clinical characteristics of this disease, we reviewed a relatively large number of KTS patients who presented to our vascular anomalies center. Methods We conducted a retrospective study with 19 patients who were diagnosed with KTS and treated in our vascular anomalies clinic between 2003 and 2014, and examined their demographic characteristics, their clinical features, and the treatments administered. Results The sex distribution was balanced, with 9 (47%) males and 10 (53%) females. The mean follow-up period was 4.1 years (range, 7 months-9 years). Most of the patients received conservative treatments such as medication or physiotherapy. Compression therapies such as wearing of elastic garments/bandages were also administered, and surgical interventions were considered only when the patients became excessively symptomatic. Other treatments included laser therapy and sclerotherapy, and all the treatments were adjusted according to each case, tailored to the conditions of the individual patients. Conclusions KTS is an extremely rare, multifactorial disorder that induces widely varied symptoms. Because of this unique feature, plastic surgeons, when not careful, tend to attach a one-sided importance to typical symptoms such as limb hypertrophy or capillary malformation and thus overlook other symptoms and clinical features. KTS can be suspected in all infants who show capillary malformations or limb hypertrophy and require a multi-disciplinary approach for comprehensive management.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.41-58
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• 2023

Objectives: This retrospective observational study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of Cheongpebaedok-tang, a traditional Korean herbal medicine, provided via telemedicine to patients with asymptomatic to mild COVID-19 in Korea. Methods: From February to April 2020, a retrospective analysis investigated COVID-19 patients treated via Korean telemedicine. The study involved asymptomatic to mild cases receiving Cheongpebaedok-tang more than three times, along with continuous Korean medicine care in convalescence. Diagnoses and treatment adhered to the telemedicine guidelines of the Association of Korean Medicine, with varied Cheongpebaedok-tang prescriptions based on symptom severity. Symptom evaluation involved a detailed assessment using a 15-item tool at initial and final sessions. Results: The study included 27 patients, with a mean age of 48.7 ± 2.3 years (mean ± standard error). Patients began self-administering oral Cheongpebaedok-tang for an average of 19.4 ± 1.8 days after the date of COVID-19 diagnosis confirmation and continued the medication for 15.8 ± 1.2 days. The reported side effects of the Cheongpebaedok-tang included palpitations (11.1%), insomnia (7.4%), dizziness (3.7%), and diarrhea (3.7%). All side effects disappeared after adjusting the prescription according to standard treatment guidelines. The occurrence of all COVID-19-related adverse symptoms, except fatigue and myalgia, decreased. Fatigue was the most common chronic symptom persisting after 6 months (51.9%), followed by ocular symptoms (37.0%) and sore throat (22.2%). Conclusions: This study implies Cheongpebaedok-tang may offer a potentially safe, symptom-alleviating approach for managing mild COVID-19 cases via telemedicine, although further comprehensive research is warranted.