• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.164-177
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop effective management indicators for improving efficiencies of visiting nursing centers. Method: This was a methodological research study to develop the key performance indicators based on balanced score cards for long-term care visiting nursing centers. The main methods used in this study were literature review, focus group interview, and content validity index. The data analysis was used frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Results: The common vision of the long-term care visiting nursing centers was identified as "The healthy visiting nursing center to serve high quality cares." Eight action strategies and 15 key performance indicators to achieve this vision were developed. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, we suggest that the developed balanced score cards will be used as an effective managerial guideline to improve performances of long-term care visiting nursing centers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1703-1708
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• 2009

Deproteinization has been recognized as a prerequisite for amino acid analysis of plasma samples. For plasma stored at room temperature, delaying deproteinization for 30, 60 or 120 minutes did not result in significant changes in the mean CV (coefficient of variation), which ranged from 4.4 to 5.6%. However the mean CV of aspartic acid, ${\alpha}$-aminoadipic acid, alanine and lysine was about 10%. When the plasma was stored frozen at -20${^{\circ}C}$, the CV was increased at 0 and 120 minutes after thawing, to 12.4% (range, 4.1 to 35.3%) and 8.0% (2.5 to 30.7%), respectively. The concentrations in plasma during storage at room temperature of all the amino acids analyzed showed significant changes. In plasma stored for 30 minutes at room temperature, 17 amino acids increased in concentrations and two decreased. Extending this period to 60 or 120 minutes increased the instability as compare to the reference group. Storing plasma at -20${^{\circ}C}$ for 2 weeks resulted in significantly greater changes in the amino acid concentrations than at room temperature. On extending the storage time at room temperature, after thawing, to 30, 60, and 120 minutes, 21, 20, and all 22 amino acids respectively changed significantly (p<0.01). The present study indicates that methodological errors occur in the concentrations determined for all amino acids when plasma is left at room temperature. The storage of frozen non-deproteinized plasma accompanied more significant changes in most amino acid concentrations and thus should be avoided. Deproteinization should be performed as soon as possible after plasma collection.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.128-143
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• 2014

Purpose: Effective literature searching is essential to support evidence-based nursing. The aim of this study was to present our recent systematic search experience to identify guidelines in PubMed for prevention of catheter-associated urinary tract infections. Methods: Five approaches to the literature search via PubMed were employed. The searches were restricted to items published from 1980 to 2010, for patients admitted to hospital, and in the English language. The search results were compared using the number of records and relevant items, and the sensitivity and precision of each search strategy. Results: The individual approaches retrieved 19-141 of records and 3-6 of relevant items. Sensitivity ranged from 37.5% to 75.0% with the highest values for simple searches and a search combining MeSH terms and free textwords with a methodological search filter. Precision varied from 4.3% to 21.7% and the highest precision was found for MeSH terms with limits feature. Conclusion: The simple search in PubMed is an appropriate way for nurses in a busy clinical practice to search the literature for evidence. However, several approaches using MeSH terms, free textwords, limits feature or methodological search filters are also required to have more efficient and better informed search results.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.25-38
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• 2020

Objectives: This review aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Chai-Hu-Shu-Gan-San (CHSGS) for treatment of insomnia. Methods: 9 databases were comprehensively searched from their inception dates until Jan 2020 using keywords like Insomnia, Chai-Hu-Shu-Gan-San and Sihosogan-san. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using CHSGS as the main intervention for insomnia patients. We assessed the quality of RCTs using the Cochrane risk of bias tool and Jadad scale. Results: 5 RCTs were included. The Chinese classification of mental disorders -3 (CCMD-3) was the most frequently used diagnostic criteria. The effective rate was the most frequently used as outcome. All the 5 RCTs that reported CHSGS and CHSGS adjunctive therapy on insomnia were more effective compared to western medication. Only one study reported adverse effects. The methodological quality of the included RCTs were generally poor. Conclusions: This review found that CHSGS may be effective to treating insomnia. However, because of the small number, heterogeneity and very low methodological quality of included studies, we could not draw any definitive conclusions. Therefore, more rigorous randomized control studies are warranted.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.279-290
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• 2016

This study was performed to evaluate the methodological quality of nursing costs analysis research based on the activity-based costing in Korea. Data were collected from database of Research Information Shraing Service, Korean studies Information Service System, DBpia and National Assembly Library. Eight studies were published on thesis and journal until Oct, 2015. Quality assessment tool was consisted in 5 factors based on activity-based costing. Studies of 87.5% were calculate the nursing units' costs in the hospital. All papers were appropriate in labor costs in resource factor and activity factor, but only 2 paper was appropriate in overhead cost allocation. Through this result, we found the necessity of improving accuracy in nursing costs analysis. These results can be helpful to manage cost and performance in nursing practice.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.149-163
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• 2009

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to review RCTs on pharmacopuncture treatment for musculoskeletal diseases and to establish standards of pharmacopuncture treatment model. Methods : We searched articles up to date of March 2009 via computerized databases of Pubmed, The Journal of Korean Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Journal of Korean institute of Herbal Acupuncture, Journal of Oriental Rehabilitation and Journal of Korean Oriental Medicine. Only Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) concerning the effects of pharmacopuncture on musculoskeletal diseases. The pharmacopuncture treatment methods were assessed based on STRICTA and items considering the feature of pharmacopuncture. And the methodological quality of the trials was assessed by FEAS and modified Jadad score. Results : Eighteen trials of pharmacopuncture on musculoskeletal diseases were analyzed. Except for 4 trials comparing the effect of SBV and BV, positive outcome was reported in ten trials. Among eighteen trials; most of the trials were about Bee Venom acupuncture, and most of the trials used about five acupuncture points, mainly local acupuncture points. But, the amount of injection to each point and total injection were various. And most of trials were lack in the information about method of stimulation. The adjusted FEAS score ranged from 0 to 12, and modified Jadad scoreranged from 1 to 5. Conclusions: To standardize pharmacopuncture treatment, we need more well-designed, high quality clinical trials. And methodological assessment tools designed for pharmacopuncture treatment are also needed.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.79-94
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• 2010

Objectives : Many researchers in western societies raised questions on methodological limitations of randomized controlled trial (RCT) for studying Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), and they have tried to find alternatives to RCT. Some of them recently have interest in health service research as one of the alternatives. Discussing the significance of health services research in CAM studies will be helpful to guide the researchers in Korea who are also interested in developing an appropriate research methodology for traditional Korean medicine. Methods : Previous studies on methodological issues of studying CAM and health service researches published in western societies until 2009 were searched mainly from Pubmed. The definition, main research domains, and research methods of health service research and the significance of it for researches on CAM were summarized. Results & Conclusions : Health service researches are important in two aspects. First, health service researches evaluate the actual practice of CAM, including the individualized diagnosis as well as treatment and interaction between practitioners and patients. Second, when evaluating the outcomes, they put an emphasis on subjective evaluation by patients as well as objective evaluation by doctors. Thus, it can reflect the treatment goals of CAM which is improving the overall quality of life and the physical and psychological health. Therefore, health services researches such as descriptive studies, qualitative studies, outcomes studies including economic evaluation, and whole systemic research should be more utilized in order for studying traditional Korean medicine.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.83-104
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• 2008

Objectives: Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) is a kind of health promotion approach to increase social cohesion and sense of community, which has built the collaborated partnership in all phases. This has the co-ownership of research objectives and knowledges produced by residents, and the outcome was taken to enhance community empowerment. This study performed to embody CBPR, which had regulated collective health status approached by social epidemiology. Methods: Reference review had been exercised focused on CBPR books and papers published since 1990. Our interests were aimed at its paradigm and methodological issues. Particularly, we problematized its feasibility in the social and behavioral foundations of pubic health. Results: According to the review, CBPR shared critical understanding and decision-making related to their community development including health status. Therefore, it was strength-based approach in spite of scientific dichotomy. CBPR created social cohesion and community empowerment with all participants, because it sublated contradiction between subjectivism and objectivism. Conclusions: The success of CBPR needs what we so called trust, democracy, collaboration, devotion, and consensus of equity. Despite these factors, CBPR may be a methodological transition to prepare some intervention of health inequality. This is because it does emphasize a mixture of theory and praxis to manage vulnerable people in community.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.62-74
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• 2017

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of laser therapy for diabetic ulcer by using methods of systematic review. Methods : In this review, PubMed, Cochrane library, Web of Science, CNKI, CiNii, J-STAGE, NDSL and OASIS were used as the search engines. The search period is from the start date of the search engine to October 3, 2016. Randomized controlled trials(RCTs) using laser therapy for diabetic ulcer were searched and extracted by two independent researchers. Risk of bias(RoB) of Cochrane was used to assess methodological quality of studies. Results : Finally, five RCTs were selected. The follow-up period ranged from 15 days to 20 weeks. InGaAlP laser, GaAlAs laser and light emitting diode(LED) were used to treat diabetic ulcer. The clinical trials used sham laser irradiation or standard treatment as control in comparison to laser therapy. The endpoints included ulcer size, rate of healing and time to healing with follow-up period. The RCTs demonstrated therapeutic outcomes with no adverse effect. Most items of RoB were unclear and methodological quality was low. Conclusions : Our analysis suggests that laser therapy has therapeutic effects for diabetic ulcer. However, more systematic and stringent clinical trials will be required.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.197-206
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• 2015

Background: The purpose of this study was to propose a method for developing a measure of hospital-wide all-cause risk-standardized readmissions using administrative claims data in Korea and to discuss further considerations in the refinement and implementation of the readmission measure. Methods: By adapting the methodology of the United States Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services for creating a 30-day readmission measure, we developed a 6-step approach for generating a comparable measure using Korean datasets. Using the 2010 Korean National Health Insurance (NHI) claims data as the development dataset, hierarchical regression models were fitted to calculate a hospital-wide all-cause risk-standardized readmission measure. Six regression models were fitted to calculate the readmission rates of six clinical condition groups, respectively and a single, weighted, overall readmission rate was calculated from the readmission rates of these subgroups. Lastly, the case mix differences among hospitals were risk-adjusted using patient-level comorbidity variables. The model was validated using the 2009 NHI claims data as the validation dataset. Results: The unadjusted, hospital-wide all-cause readmission rate was 13.37%, and the adjusted risk-standardized rate was 10.90%, varying by hospital type. The highest risk-standardized readmission rate was in hospitals (11.43%), followed by general hospitals (9.40%) and tertiary hospitals (7.04%). Conclusion: The newly developed, hospital-wide all-cause readmission measure can be used in quality and performance evaluations of hospitals in Korea. Needed are further methodological refinements of the readmission measures and also strategies to implement the measure as a hospital performance indicator.