• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.70-80
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• 2018

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore the mediating effects of internalized stigma on the relationship between hospitalization stress and quality of life among patients with mental illness in closed wards. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed. The participants were 141 hospitalized patients with mental illness in the closed wards of K university hospital and Y psychiatric hospital in Korea. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires including hospitalization stress, internalized stigma and quality of life. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 21.0 programs and the mediating effects were examined by the method suggested by Baron and Kenny. Results: There was a significant correlation between hospitalization stress, internalized stigma and quality of life of psychiatric patients. In addition, internalized stigma was found to have a partial mediating effect on the relationship between hospitalization stress and quality of life. Conclusion: The results suggest that the internalized stigma plays an important role in improving the quality of life of the people with mental illness in a closed unit. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a program focusing on internalized stigma for improving the quality of life in hospitalized patients in a closed unit.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.4421-4426
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• 2016

Background: Smoking is recognized as a main leading preventable cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. It is responsible for a considerable financial burden both on the health system and in society. This study aimed to examine the effect of smoking on cost of hospitalization and length of stay (LoS) among patients with lung cancer in Iran in 2014. Materials and Methods: A total of 415 patients were included in the study. Data on age, sex, insurance status, type of hospitals, type of insurance, geographic local, length of stay and cost of hospitalization was extracted by medical records and smoking status was obtained from a telephone survey. To compare cost of hospitalization and LoS for different smoking groups, current smokers, former smokers, and never smokers, a gamma regression model and zero-truncated poisson regression were used, respectively. Results: Compared with never smokers, current and former smokers showed a 48% and 35% increase in hospitalization costs, respectively. Also, hospital LoS for current and former smokers was 72% and 31% higher than for never smokers, respectively. Conclusions: Our study indicated that cigarette smoking imposes a significant financial burden on hospitals in Iran. It is, however, recommended that more research should be done to implement and evaluate hospital based smoking cessation interventions to better increase cessation rates in these settings.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 2018

Purpose: This study was conducted to analyze the factors associated with intoxicated patient's disposition in the pediatric emergency department. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated pediatric intoxicated patients visiting the pediatric emergency department of a hospital between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2013. Specifically, we analyzed the association between hospitalization recommended rate and the following variables: patient age group, symptoms, intentional poisoning, decontamination and toxic level of substance. Results: We collected data from 345 patients. A high incidence was noted in the 1-4 years of age group and 10-15 years of age group. Unintentional poisoning occurred in 306 patients (88.7%). A total of 115 patients (33.3%) had symptoms when visiting. Forty three patients (12.5%) ingested cleaning substances, which was the most common agent. Potentially-toxic level was the most common level of the substance. The hospitalization recommended rate associated with visits in 2011 was 2.5 times greater than in 2012 and 2013, decontamination was 2.0 times greater than no decontamination, and poisoning with potentially-toxic substances was 2.6 times greater than poisoning with other toxic substances. Additionally, the hospitalization recommended rate associated with symptomatic patients was 2.4 times greater than that of asymptomatic patients and intentional poisoning was 2.4 times greater than unintentional poisoning. Conclusion: Patients with decontamination, ingestion of potentially-toxic substances, symptoms and intentional poisoning had increased hospitalization rates. In addition, the hospitalization rate for patients who visited in 2011 was greater than that of patients who visited in 2012 or 2013.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.472-478
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• 2021

Background: Early identification of patients who are highly likely to develop severe illness among confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) can be expected to lead to effective treatment. This study therefore aimed to determine whether the presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has an impact on the exacerbation of COVID-19 symptoms. Methods: The study used the Korean National Health Insurance claim data for treatment of COVID-19 patients in 2020. NAFLD includes nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The outcome variables used were hospitalization and the use of medical devices. Hospitalization was defined by a length of stay exceeding one day and the use of medical devices was defined as one or more uses of a ventilator or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine if there was a difference in the hospitalization and use of medical devices of COVID-19 patients depending on the presence of NAFLD. Results: The odds ratio of hospitalization was 1.059, indicating slightly higher odds of hospitalization for patients with NAFL or NASH compared to those without the conditions, but it was not statistically significant (0.969-1.156). On the other hand, the odds ratio of use of medical devices was high at 1.667 and was statistically significant (1.111-2.501). Conclusion: The study results found NAFLD to be a risk factor that can exacerbate symptoms in COVID-19 patients. Accordingly, it is necessary to identify NAFLD patients through preemptive screening and provide them with appropriate treatments.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.248-254
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• 2023

Objectives: Measuring the quality of care is paramount to inform policies for healthcare services. Nevertheless, little is known about the quality of primary care and acute care provided in Korea. This study investigated trends in the quality of primary care and acute care. Methods: Case-fatality rates and avoidable hospitalization rates were used as performance indicators to assess the quality of primary care and acute care. Admission data for the period 2008 to 2020 were extracted from the National Health Insurance Claims Database. Case-fatality rates and avoidable hospitalization rates were standardized by age and sex to adjust for patients' characteristics over time, and significant changes in the rates were identified by joinpoint regression. Results: The average annual percent change in age-/sex-standardized case-fatality rates for acute myocardial infarction was -2.3% (95% confidence interval, -4.6 to 0.0). For hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke, the age-/sex-standardized case-fatality rates were 21.8% and 5.9%, respectively in 2020; these rates decreased since 2008 (27.1 and 8.7%, respectively). The average annual percent change in age-/sex-standardized avoidable hospitalization rates ranged from -9.4% to -3.0%, with statistically significant changes between 2008 and 2020. In 2020, the avoidable hospitalization rates decreased considerably compared with the 2019 rate because of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Conclusions: The avoidable hospitalization rates and case-fatality rates decreased overall during the past decade, but they were relatively high compared with other countries. Strengthening primary care is an essential requirement to improve patient health outcomes in the rapidly aging Korean population.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.87-115
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• 2024

In Korea, exposure to stress has been accompanied by mental pain in the process of achieving many growth along with rapid development, various social problems, and the frequency of emergency hospitalization is increasing.. In the case of mentally ill patients, "unwanted hospitalization" is a problem, and police and 119 paramedics try to suppress the body of mentally ill patients, and many problems are exposed This is because the constituent requirements of the provisions of emergency hospitalization under the Mental Health and Welfare Act do not reflect reality, and each institution has a different position on one mentally ill person, and emergency hospitalization does not proceed smoothly or leads to friction between related organizations, and the safety of the mentally ill or others is not secured. Emergency hospitalization is defined as "a person who finds a person who is presumed to be mentally ill and is at high risk of harming his or her health or safety or others," and if the situation is so urgent that he or she cannot afford time to go through the hospitalization procedure to decide on his or her own hospitalization, he or she can request emergency hospitalization with the consent of a doctor and a police officer. In this case, 119 paramedics are escorted to a psychiatric institution. This provision of emergency hospitalization poses many problems in the process of transferring to psychiatric institutions. If a police officer or 119 paramedics in charge of practice use "physical force" during the emergency hospitalization process, side effects will inevitably occur, and professional negligence can be a problem. Specifically, when exercising physical force, the minimum necessary physical restraint based on laws and regulations and proportional principles is required, and the lack of the duty of care of 119 paramedics or police officers under the laws and regulations will eventually be resolved by applying other laws and regulations. Accordingly, it will be an opportunity for mentally ill patients to be transferred to psychiatric institutions in a safe environment by changing the subject of emergency hospitalization provisions under the Mental Health Welfare Act, defining and prescribing the use of physical protection guards as the enforcement regulations of the Mental Health Act, setting the duty of care for 119 paramedics and police officers, and creating an environment for transportation so that mentally ill patients can be treated safely.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.88-94
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• 2018

Background: Length of hospitalization for patients with lower back pain sustained in road traffic accidents was assessed clinically. Methods: In total, 170 patients with lower back pain injury sustained in road traffic accidents, were included in the study. They were divided into 2 groups: Group A with a shorter hospitalization period (1-7 days) and Group B with a longer hospitalization period (8-14 days). Each group was treated daily with traditional Korean medicine including: acupuncture, herbal acupuncture, herbal decoction medicine, and chuna treatment. To compare the treatment effects between the 2 groups, health-related quality of life, Oswestry disability index, and numeric rating scale were used. Statistical analysis between the 2 groups was assessed using Chi-square test, independent t test, and paired t test. Results: After hospitalization, Group A and Group B both showed a significant increase in their health-related quality of life scores and significant decreases in Oswestry disability index and numeric rating scale scores. In addition, Group B, with a longer hospitalization period than Group A, showed a significant improvement over Group A in its health-related quality of life and numeric rating scale scores. Conclusion: This study suggests that control of pain caused by lower back injury sustained in a road traffic accident, may be more effectively achieved in patients receiving 8-14 days of hospitalization and traditional Korean medicine treatment, compared to those receiving < 7 days of hospitalization treatment. In the future, more systematic and large-scale studies are needed to ascertain the effects of other variables.

• Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.398-406
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• 2018

Objective: Hospitalization of patients with delirium after visiting the emergency department (ED) is often required. However, the readmission risk after discharge from the ED should also be considered. This study aimed to explore whether (i) immediate hospitalization influences the readmission risk of patients with delirium; (ii) the readmission risk is affected by various risk factors; and (iii) the healthcare cost differs between groups within 28 days of the first ED visit. Methods: Using the National Health Insurance Research Database, the data of 2,780 subjects presenting with delirium at an ED visit from 2000 to 2008 were examined. The readmission risks of the groups of patients (i.e., patients who were and were not admitted within 24 hours of an ED visit) within 28 days were compared, and the effects of the severities of different comorbidities (using Charlson's comorbidity index, CCI), age, gender, diagnosis and differences in medical healthcare cost were analyzed. Results: Patients without immediate hospitalization had a higher risk of readmission within 3, 7, 14, or 28 days of discharge from the ED, especially subjects with more severe comorbidities ($CCI{\geq}3$) or older patients (${\geq}65years$). Subjects with more severe comorbidities or older subjects who were not admitted immediately also incurred a greater healthcare cost for re-hospitalization within the 28-day follow-up period. Conclusion: Patients with delirium with a higher CCI or of a greater age should be carefully considered for immediate hospitalization from ED for further examination in order to reduce the risk of re-hospitalization and cost of healthcare.

• The Korean Nurse
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• v.20 no.1 s.109
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• pp.56-65
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• 1981

The purpose of this study is to indentify the degree of hospitalization anxiety is experiened by hospitalized patients in the Armed Forces General Hospital and to provide effective care to hospitalized patients for decresing their anxiety. The subjects in

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 1977

Personalized Patient centered nursing care is increasingly difficult to achieve despite the fact that it remains one of our consistent goals. So, we must find away to individualized nursing care. One means, to achieve this is by use of the nursing history form, which has been developed to help the nurse make maximum use of her limited time with the patient, by obtaining systematically the information needed to plan his nursing care. The nursing history form can be used to collect data about individual nursing needs but also it lends itself to the collection of epidemiological data relevant to the needs of patient population. So this study was undertaken in an attempt to describe the general characteristics of the population studied, to find out their perceptions and expectations related to their illness and hospitalization, to find out specific basic needs and to examine the relationship between the patients nursing needs and demographic characteristics through the responses to the nursing history questions. The study population defined and selected was all the patients (70) who were admitted to Yonsei University Hospital from October 1 - 15, 1975. The direct interview method was used and the data were categorized by the investigator, according to the nature of responses to each question and were subjected to the percentile and the chi- square tests. The findings can be summarized as follows 11. General characteristics of the study population ; The population was made up mainly of urban patients who were highly educated. The age was equally distributed. 2. Patients, perceptions and expectations related to illness and hospitalization ; 88.6% of the patients knew about the reason for hospitalization but 64. 5% could state symptoms only. 37.5% recognized the cause of illness. Approximately three fourth of the patients expressed on expectation for early recovery. 60.0% of the patient responses indicated, that they expected less than 10 days of hospitalization. Of the total responses regarding hospitalization, 45.7% were negative about the post -hospitalization expectation, 45.7% expected to return to work. As a result of these findings, we can see that there is a great educational need, a psychological need and environmental need for adaptation to the hospital and a socio- economic need for the post - hospitalization period. 3. Specific basic needs : The physical needs include the problem of getting sufficient sleep (50.0%), difficulty in food intake(47.1%), problems with hospital diet (47.0%), abnormal condition of the skin(44.3%), problems with bowel elimination(35.7%), assistance with bathing(35.7%), pain(30.0%), difficulty in walking(30.0%) , difficulty in seeing(30.0%) problems in urinary elimination(20.0%) , and difficulty in hearing(10.0%), 4. Nursing needs and epidemiological characteristics ; Age distribution was related to the rendition of the mouth but no significant differences were observed statistically with the patients responses to the other nursing history questions according to the epidemiological variables of age, sex, education and residence.