• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• 제44권5호
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• pp.390-399
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• 2017

Background This article aims to investigate current perceptions of beauty of the general public and physicians without a specialization in plastic surgery performing aesthetic procedures. Methods A cross-sectional and interviewing questionnaire was administered to 290 people in Seoul, South Korea in September 2015. The questionnaire addressed three issues: general attitudes about plastic surgery (Q1), perception of and preferences regarding Korean female celebrities' facial attractiveness (Q2), and the relative influence of each facial aesthetic subunit on overall facial attractiveness. The survey's results were gathered by a professional research agency and classified according to a respondent's gender, age, and job type ($95%{\pm}5.75%$ confidence interval). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS ver. 10.1, calculating one-way analysis of variance with post hoc analysis and Tukey's t-test. Results Among the respondents, 38.3% were in favor of aesthetic plastic surgery. The most common source of plastic surgery information was the internet (50.0%). The most powerful factor influencing hospital or clinic selection was the postoperative surgical results of acquaintances (74.9%). We created a composite face of an attractive Korean female, representing the current facial configuration considered appealing to the Koreans. Beauty perceptions differed to some degree based on gender and generational differences. We found that there were certain differences in beauty perceptions between general physicians who perform aesthetic procedures and the general public. Conclusions Our study results provide aesthetic plastic surgeons with detailed information about contemporary Korean people's attitudes toward and perceptions of plastic surgery and the specific characteristics of female Korean faces currently considered attractive, plus trends in these perceptions, which should inform plastic surgeons within their specialized fields.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.35-42
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• 2014

Background: Epidural steroid injection (ESI) is one of the most common procedures for patients presenting low back pain and radiculopathy. However, there is no clear consensus on what constitutes appropriate steroid use for ESIs. To investigate optimal steroid injection methods for ESIs, surveys were sent to all academic pain centers and selected private practices in Korea via e-mail. Methods: Among 173 pain centers which requested the public health insurance reimbursements for their ESIs and were enrolled in the Korean Pain Society, 122 completed questionnaires were returned, for a rate of 70.5%; also returned were surveys from 39 academic programs and 85 private practices with response rates of 83.0% and 65.9%, respectively. Results: More than half (55%) of Korean pain physicians used dexamethasone for ESIs. The minimum interval of subsequent ESIs at the academic institutions (3.1 weeks) and the private practices (2.1 weeks) were statistically different (P = 0.01). Conclusions: Although there was a wide range of variation, there were no significant differences between the academic institutions and the private practices in terms of the types and single doses of steroids for ESIs, the annual dose of steroids, or the limitations of doses in the event of diabetes, with the exception of the minimum interval before the subsequent ESI.

• 보건교육건강증진학회지
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.215-227
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• 2005

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to develop a Korean Health Literacy Assessment Tool (KHLAT) and to encourage researchers in the public health education field to look at the concept of health literacy as one of the possible strategies to design and develop more effective health education campaigns in Korea. Methods: Data with 117 sample subjects was collected from various classes such as continuing adult classes and undergraduate classes. REALM, well-known and widely used health literacy tool in the US, was translated and modified for cultural considerations. The Korean modified version of the REALM was administrated to the targeted subjects who were asked to fill the survey questionnaires. Results: The findings appear to be consistent with the OCED reading literacy among Koreans. Health literacy among Korean seems to be more serious problem than we have expected before and this could be a major obstacle to effective health public education campaigns. Conclusions: In order to develop better public health education materials as well as health education programs, it may be critical for us as health educators to inform future physicians as well as practicing physicians of the important link between health literacy and the effective health education(or communication). It is now time for us to make sincere efforts in understanding health literacy one of effective strategies toward improving the public health.

• 약학회지
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• 제59권6호
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• pp.278-283
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• 2015

The computerized prospective Drug Utilization Review (DUR) program supported by the Korean government has provided alerts to physicians and pharmacists since December 2010. This study aims to propose and apply the tiering system in "drug combinations to avoid (DCA)" and "age-precaution" alerts based on severity to improve the compliance of users. To propose the severity and clinical importance of 647 DCA alerts and 140 age precautions, a Delphi evaluation survey was conducted. An expert panel comprising 5 clinical pharmacists and 5 physicians were participated in mail surveys. Based on the results of Delphi survey, DCA pairs were classified into 3 groups; group 1 (70.6%), 2 (26.9%), and 3 (2.8%). Drug-age precaution ingredients were also classified into three groups; group 1 (53.6%), group 2 (40.7%), and group 3 (5.7%). When this grouping was applied to claim data from 2011 to 2013, the majority of alerts had occurred in the groups of high severity. Presenting DUR alerts with severity level is expected to improve the compliance of clinicians. The implementation of tiering system in DUR criteria should be considered.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.119-131
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• 2024

There are growing concerns regarding the safety of long-term treatment with opioids of patients with chronic non-cancer pain. In 2017, the Korean Pain Society (KPS) developed guidelines for opioid prescriptions for chronic non-cancer pain to guide physicians to prescribe opioids effectively and safely. Since then, investigations have provided updated data regarding opioid therapy for chronic non-cancer pain and have focused on initial dosing schedules, reassessment follow-ups, recommended dosage thresholds considering the risk-benefit ratio, dose-reducing schedules for tapering and discontinuation, adverse effects, and inadvertent problems resulting from inappropriate application of the previous guidelines. Herein, we have updated the previous KPS guidelines based on a comprehensive literature review and consensus development following discussions among experts affiliated with the Committee on Hospice and Palliative Care in the KPS. These guidelines may assist physicians in prescribing opioids for chronic non-cancer pain in adult outpatient settings, but should not to be regarded as an inflexible standard. Clinical judgements by the attending physician and patient-centered decisions should always be prioritized.

• 약학회지
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• 제47권4호
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• pp.252-259
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• 2003

Self-medication is a representative phenomenon in the domain of popular care, originated from perspective of medical pluralism and the pharmacy profession is said to be in the most appropriate position of health care professions to activate self-medication. As any healthcare reform impacts in a country, 2000 institutional separation between medicine and pharmacy implemented in Korea brought a lot of changes in behavior of drug use not only to physicians and pharmacists but also to consumers (patients). In this paper, the reality of self-medication since the institutional separation between medicine and pharmacy was analyzed, based on the empirical data which were collected by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs in 2002. The major finding is that the domain of popular care including self-medication was significantly shrunk, while that of professional care was proportionally expanded. As a result, the following four points were strongly recommended for the purpose of promoting self-medication: i) upgrading the pharmacy education system from 4 year to 6 year level, ii) improvement of continuing education and introduction of GPP (Good Pharmacy Practice), iii) activating 'pharmacal encounter' (i.e., pharmacist-consumer relationship) and iv) promotion of socio-economic research activities and proactive participation in the international self-medication movement of pharmacists in Korea.

• 한국임상약학회지
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.14-21
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• 2011

Drug Utilization Review (DUR) is known to play an important role to improve appropriateness of drug prescriptions. This retrospective, observational study was conducted to compare prescription patterns after installation of Computerized DUR Program (Drug Information Framework-$Korea^{TM}$) (Jan-Mar 2008; After) to before DUR program (Jan-Mar 2007: Before). 8 physicians affiliated in the S University Hospital were enrolled in the study and their 3 months' prescription data were analysed for drug prescription trends and DUR conflict events per 7 DUR screening modules (drugdrug interaction, therapeutic duplication, allergy, dosing, disease contra-indication, geriatric contra-indication, pediatric contra-indication). Average rate of DUR modules usage in 2008 (After) were 0.72. Average number of prescription drug per patient were reduced from 5.6 (Before) to 3.8 (After), and DUR program seemed to effect positively on physician's prescription related decision process. Overall DUR conflict events occurred by 8 physicians for 3 months were 17,923 Before and 20,057 After DUR program, and DUR conflict events per prescription were 2.8 Before and 2.9 After, respectively. Therapeutic duplication (37%), geriatric contra-indication (34%) and dosing (18%) were high ranked DUR conflicts. As the study was not sufficient to show a consistent trend to reduce DUR conflicts After, another study to confirm it's effectiveness would be recommended. This study would be of help to develop awareness of DUR program to healthcare providers.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제87권1호
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• pp.100-114
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• 2024

Background: Long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) improves the survival of patients with hypoxemia due to chronic respiratory diseases. The clinical outcomes of LTOT are strongly associated with patient adherence. To improve the adherence of patients, physicians have focused on the efficacy of LTOT. However, poor adherence may stem from patients' perceptions of LTOT. Herein we evaluated patients' perceptions of LTOT affecting adherence. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey study using descriptive, open, and closed-ended questionnaire. Patients using oxygen therapy (OT) or requiring it but avoiding OT responded to the questionnaires at three university hospitals. Results: Seventy-nine patients responded to the questionnaires. The number of patients using home and portable OT was 69 (93%) and 37 (46.3%), respectively. Patients with good adherence were 22 (30.1%). Among patients with good adherence, 90.9% used oxygen according to physicians' prescriptions whereas only 37.3% of those with poor adherence followed physicians' prescriptions (p<0.01). The reasons for avoiding using home OT were fear of permanent use (50%), unwanted attention (40%), and lack of symptoms (40%). They avoided portable OT because of unwanted attention (39%), heaviness (31.7%), and lack of symptoms (21.6%). Conclusion: Patients on LTOT had the perception of the misunderstanding the effects of OT and of psychosocial barriers to initiate or use LTOT. Considering these findings, health professionals need to provide effective education on the purpose of LTOT to improve patient adherence to OT and provide sufficient support for the management of psychosocial barriers in patients using LTOT.

• 한국건강관리협회지
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• 제2권3호
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• pp.97-116
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• 2004

Lifetime Health Maintenance Program(LHMP) for Koreans is the Korean guide to clinical preventive services which include screening for chronic diseases, counseling and immunization. The Korean Task Force on the LHMP vigorously reviews evidence for interventions to prevent over 50 different illnesses and conditions which are important in Korea. The problems addressed in this program are common ones seen every day by primary care physicians in Korea: cardiovascular, infectious diseases, gastrointestinal and endocrine diseases, cancers, alcohol and smoking, and many others. Primary care clinicians have a key role in screening for many of these problems and immunizing against others. Of equal importance, however, is the clinician's role in counseling patients to change unhealthful behaviors related to diet, smoking, exercise, injuries, and sexually transmitted diseases. The recommendations are grouped by age, sex, and other risk factors.

• 한국건강관리협회지
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.231-245
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• 2004

Lifetime Health Maintenance Program(LHMP) or Koreans is the Korean guide to clinical preventive services which include screening for chronic diseases, counseling and immunization. The Korean Task Force on the LHMP vigorously reviews evidence for interventions to prevent over 50 different illnesses and conditions which are important in Korea. The problems addressed in this program are common ones seen every day by primary care physicians in Korea: cardiovascular, infectious diseases, gastrointestinal and endocrine diseases, cancers, alcohol and smoking, and many others. Primary care clinicians have a key role in screening for many of these problems and imunizing against others Of equal importance, however, is the clinician's role in counseling patients to change unhealthful behaviors related to diet, smoking, exercise, injuries, and sexually transmitted diseases The recommendations are grouped by age, sex, and other risk factors.