• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.102-122
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• 2002

It has been 2 years since the implementation of the separation policy of drug prescription and dispensing. This study analyzes the changes in community pharmacy operation after the implementation of the policy. The main purposes of the analysis are to determine whether the changes in community pharmacy operation have occurred and to evaluate that the changes are consistent with the intention of the policy, if the changes actually have occurred. For the study a survey on 961 pharmacies chosen by stratified sampling method has been performed. Of the 961 sample pharmacies, 438 pharmacies were responded resulting 45.6% response rate. The sample pharmacies are classified by the location that the pharmacy are operating: the pharmacies around large size hospitals, the pharmacies around clinics or medium to small size hospitals and the pharmacies with no hospitals or clinics around. Based on the classification, the number of pharmacies, number of prescriptions processed, the personnel structure, the changes in facility, and other operational characteristics are compared. The results showed that the pharmacies were tended to concentrate around hospitals and clinic since the implementation of the policy. The number of pharmacists per pharmacy was increased, the size of pharmacy was increased and the facilities were improved to accomodate the requirements of the policy. The work hours a pharmacist spent on dispensing drug have increased almost twice, however, there was no corresponding increase in the time spent on patient education and medication history management, indicating a problem in the provision of quality pharmaceutical services. Based on the results, suggestions to minimize the negative effects of the policy are provided.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.67 no.5
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• pp.409-412
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• 2009

Background: Several large outbreaks have demonstrated the threat of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) in close-contact environments, such as occurs during training and quartering of military recruits training. In South Korea, which is a hospital or healthcare-associated MRSA prevalent area, military service is compulsory for all healthy young men. We surveyed and determined the extent of CA-MRSA colonization in the upper respiratory tracts of Korean military recruits. Methods: The Korean military recruits who were enrolled in a military training facility from November 2004 to March 2005 were eligible for this study. Sputum or nasopharyngeal swap was obtained from randomly selected subjects who displayed upper respiratory tract symptoms. Results: Of the 181 participants, 32 participants (17.7%) were colonized with S. aureus, and 12 participants (6.6%) were colonized with MRSA. Among the cases that were colonized with S. aureus, 37.5% (12/32) were colonized with MRSA. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed resistant patterns that were suggestive of the CA-MRSA strains for all of the MRSA isolates. Conclusion: This study of Korean military recruits found a great deal of showed MRSA colonization in them, and the antimicrobial resistant profile that was suggestive of a CA-MRSA strain. Further efforts to prevent the spread of MRSA infections and careful monitoring for CA-MRSA outbreaks are warranted, especially in a high risk group such as military recruits.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.39-49
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• 2020

This study was attempted to grasp the push-pull factors of urban to rural migrants in relation to services and infrastructure of rural welfare and culture. Online and offline survey were conducted for urban residents who were willing to return to the rural area and those who were already returning to the rural area. In the fields of health care, social welfare, and education, it was found that the satisfaction level of urban-to-rural migrants was relatively higher than those of latent urban-to-rural migrants. In the field of culture, leisure and sports, the level of satisfaction and concern were similar, so it was found that the expectations for the field were relatively high before returning rural area. As for the agreement degree to expand support, the demand for emergency medical facilities and dementia care program was the highest, and the demand for health care was found to be relatively high. The results of the survey on the top priority items indicate that latent urban-to-rural migrants require support of facility and space item and expansion of program item, and urban-to-rural migrants have high demand for expansion of program item in all field except healthcare field. The results of this study are expected to provide useful information for establishing the direction of the rural area development project in connection with the revitalization of policy of people return to rural area.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Planning & Design
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.41-52
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• 2017

This study investigates the waiting and resting behaviors of children within a restorative healthcare facility design. In particular, the aim is to compare children with and without disabilities and reveal similarities and differences in terms of their behavioral characteristics and uses of design facilities, related to positive distraction, for restoration in the hospital. Three major common spaces for outpatients in S children's hospital in Seoul were examined including the main lobby and two waiting and resting spaces in the pediatric and rehabilitation medicine departments, respectively. A total of 155 children under the age of 12-67 with physical disabilities and 88 without-were observed while they waited and rested at the three spaces before or after doctors' examination. Basic demographic information and waiting and resting behavioral characteristics were compared between the two groups. The results indicated that the disabled children were more restricted in terms of space, facilities used, and social behaviors. However, regardless of disabilities, the children showed more positive distractions related to cognitive and social behaviors in areas where restorative design elements such as an aquarium, garden, or visual images were available. Based on the results, design implications were discussed to strengthen positive distraction behaviors in children with and without disabilities and to foster the restorative quality of the spaces for waiting and resting in the children's hospital.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.473-489
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• 2020

Purpose: This study investigated the patient safety culture (PSC), the perception of importance on patient safety management (PIPSM) and the patient safety management activities (PSMA) of care workers in nursing homes. This was a descriptive study that attempted to provide basic data for the patient safety education program of care workers. Methods: Data were collected using questionnaires and interviews from July 1 to 31 in 2020. One hundred and seventy-four care workers participated in quantitative research. The collected data were analyzed by the SPSS/WIN 25.0 program using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Bonferroni, and Pearson's correlation. The qualitative data were collected through semi-structured, audio-recorded interviews with six representatives and six care workers from six nursing homes. Content analysis was performed to analyze the data. Results: Positive correlations were observed between PSC and PIPSM, and between PIPSM and PIPSM. Care workers' experience in patient safety management was in the following six categories: "Safety accident risk factors", "Type of safety accidents", "How to prevent safety accidents", "Effective safety management education", "Emphasis on occupational ethics of care workers", and "Needs for standard protocol" Conclusion: These findings indicate that considering the care workers' age and facility size, nurses should enhance patient safety education for care workers and establish a management activity system.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.127-136
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• 2022

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is main causative agent of urinary tract infections. They are classified based on various types of O antigen. UPEC strains commonly possess many genes encoding virulece-associated factors. E. coli strains are generally divided into four main phylogenetic groups. The virulence factor (VF) profiles of UPEC are related with their O-serogroups in each strains. A total of 681 strains of UPEC clinical isolates were collected from Korean healthcare facility (1989: 123 strains and 2010-2014: 558 strains). The UPEC clinical isolates were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. A total of 14 O-serotypes (O1, O2, O4, O6, O7, O8, O15, O16, O18, O21, O22, O25, O75 and O83), 6 virulence factors (papC, fimG/H, sfaD/E, hly1, cnf1 and usp) and phylogenetic groups were identified. The most prevalent O-serogroups were O6 (11.1%) in 1989 UPEC strains and O25 (21.0%) in 2010-2014 UPEC strains. The identified VFs, phylogenetic groups in 1989 UPEC strains and 2010-2014 UPEC strains were fimG/H and B2 group. In this study, O6 serotype was revealed the close relationships with VFs. Also, the distribution of prevalence O-serogroups of UPEC has been changed from O6 to O25 and virulence of UPEC strains was increased during past twenty-one years.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2023

Background: Shoulder instability procedures have low morbidity; however, complications can arise that result in readmission to an inpatient healthcare facility. The purpose of this study is to identify the demographics and risk factors associated with unplanned 30-day readmission and reoperation following arthroscopic and open treatment for shoulder instability. Methods: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried to find patients who underwent shoulder instability surgery from 2015 to 2019. Independent sample Student t-tests, chi-square, and (where appropriate) Fisher's exact tests were used in univariate analyses to identify demographic, lifestyle, and perioperative variables related to 30-day readmission and reoperation following repair for shoulder instability. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was subsequently performed. Results: Of the 11,230 cases included in our sample, only 0.54% were readmitted, and 0.23% underwent reoperation within the 30-day postoperative period. Multivariate logistic regression modeling confirmed that the following patient variables were associated with statistically significantly increased odds of readmission and reoperation: open repair, congestive heart failure (CHF), and hospital length of stay. Conclusions: Unplanned 30-day readmission and reoperation after shoulder instability surgery is infrequent. Patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists class II, CHF, longer than average hospital length of stay, or an open procedure have higher odds of readmission than patients without those factors. Patients who have CHF, longer than average hospital length of stay, and open surgery have higher odds of reoperation than others. Arthroscopic procedures should be used to manage shoulder instability, if possible. Level of evidence: III.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.8-21
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• 2023

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) drugs are often co-prescribed with other medications to prevent GI complications. This study aimed to evaluate the prescribing pattern of potentially unnecessary GI drugs in patients with acute cystitis who were prescribed oral antibiotics and investigate the influencing factors affecting this. Methods: We identified female patients ≥20 years with acute cystitis who visited the outpatient clinic and were prescribed oral antibiotics between July and December by analyzing Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA)-National Patients Sample (NPS)-2019 data. Patients with no prior history of GI disorders within 180 days prior to acute cystitis, excluding or including the date of diagnosis of acute cystitis, were selected (Group A and B). Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the factors affecting the prescription of potentially unnecessary GI drugs. Results: A total of 1,544 in Group A and 552 patients in Group B were included for the final analysis. Potentially unnecessary GI drugs were prescribed in 1,176 patients in Group A (76.2%) and 231 patients in Group B (41.8%). Third generation cephalosporines and sulfonamides showed the lower odds ratio for prescribing GI drugs than penicillins. Prescribers from Urology clinics showed more than twice odds ratio for the prescription of GI drugs compared to prescribers from internal medicine clinics. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that potentially unnecessary GI drug prescriptions for patients with acute cystitis were high in South Korea. The positive risk factors affecting the prescription of unnecessary GIs were not patient-related factor but healthcare facility and prescriber-related factors.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.357-371
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aims to investigate factors related to long-term length of stay (LOS) of patients with chronic diseases in Korean veterans hospitals. Methods: The subjects were 196 elderly patients with chronic disease staying in the hospital for more than 10 days, Data were collected by the survey of patients with structured questionnaires and medical records review by nurses from July 15 to August 10, 2019. Collected data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression. Results: The present and desired LOS were 37.78±32.66 days and 60.87±45.95 days, respectively. Factors affecting hospital LOS were found to be main disease (genitourinary) (p<.001), assistance in activities of daily living (p<.001), area of hospital (p<.001), payment of medical fees (p=.026), hospital satisfaction (p=.036) and the explanatory power of these variables was 26.4%. The most common health problems that need to be solved after discharge were symptom alleviation and health promotion. These problems can be solved using community-based facility services or visiting medical-welfare services (especially home care nursing). Conclusion: In order to reduce hospital LOS, the following measures are required: personalized self-management education, provision of transportation services for dialysis therapy of inactive patients, linking patients with visiting medical-welfare services including home care nursing and mobile healthcare services, operation of the case management system including the notice of the discharge date at admission, interim check of patient status, and connecting the patient with community resources or transferring the patient to long-term care facilities at discharge.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.94-105
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• 2022

Background: As South Korea enters an aged society, the government has emphasized the need for a soft landing of the older adults into the community after the acute and recovery periods under a national policy of "community care." However, the institutionalization of community rehabilitation services to implement this is insufficient. Japan had already entered an aged society when the Long-Term Care Insurance System was introduced in 2000. Thus, the case of Japan's institutionalization of the system is expected to have implications for us in supplementing a suitable system for the aged society. Objects: This study compared the institutionalization process of the Long-Term Care Insurance System in South Korea and Japan and the services currently being implemented in each country. Methods: To examine the institutionalization process and services of the system, related legal rules and regulations, government reports, and articles were reviewed. To examine the operation status of the system, statistical data provided by each country's government were analyzed. Results: Japan recognized the importance of community rehabilitation even before the enactment of Long-Term Care Insurance. Thus, community rehabilitation services, such as home-visit rehabilitation and health facilities, were already stipulated in the law. Under such institutional legacy, Long-Term Care Insurance was able to establish a service system, which balanced welfare and health-related services, including various types of services with enhanced rehabilitation functions. In South Korea, rehabilitation policies were not much considered in the process of institutionalizing the system; thus, it was composed mainly of services focusing on care and recuperation. Conclusion: In order to realize community care, rehabilitation services need to be developed in Long-Term Care Insurance System in various forms such as home-visit services, daily services, short stay, and facility services.