• Journal of Korean Academic Society of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.144-155
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• 2010

Purpose: This study investigated the factors affecting the quality of life (QOL) of the primary caregivers of home health care patients. Method: The subjects were 110 primary caregivers of patients who were receiving home health care from two home health care centers affiliated with general hospitals in Seoul. Data collection was conducted using five questionnaires. Results: Positive relationships were evident between QOL and social support and perceived health status of the primary caregiver. Negative relationships were evident between QOL and burden and depression. Multiple linear regression analysis for QOL revealed that the most powerful influencing factor was social support. Social support, burden, and depression explained 34.3% of the variance. Conclusion: Burden, depression, and social support are related with QOL of primary caregivers of home health care patients. Nursing intervention strategies directed at this caregiver population are needed.

• Journal of Korean Academic Society of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.69-78
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the frequency and duration of primary health practitioners' work, and their job satisfaction, and to confirm differences in work and job satisfaction by type of primary health care post. Methods: Work frequency, duration of work, and job satisfaction were estimated by 371 primary health practitioners. Chi-square test and t-test were used to identify the differences in working patterns and job satisfaction by type of primary health care post. Results: Primary health practitioners were found to spend more time working with the elderly population than with students, pregnant women, children, people with disabilities, and multicultural families. Those in costal areas were more concerned with students than those working inland. In the latter group of practitioners, more time was spent working with patients with chronic diseases, pregnant women, women, children, multicultural families, and mental health clients. Also, the job satisfaction of inland primary health practitioners was significantly higher than that of costal practitioners. Conclusion: It is necessary to identify the characteristics of primary health practitioners' work, focusing on changes in the medical service environment. Furthermore, it is necessary to provide job training according to type of primary health care post, as practitioners' approaches should differ between posts.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.45-58
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• 2014

Purpose: To determine the knowledge and treatment compliance with hypertension, directions for the aspects of implementation, and related factors to patients with hypertension using Primary Health Cares and Private Clinics Hospitals. Method: General characteristics and High blood pressure-related properties(17 questions), Hypertension knowledge measures(20 questions), and Treatment Compliance(22 questions) were used. Result: 1. The patients of Private Clinics Hospitals had statistically significantly higher drinking habits than Primary Health Care centers. The patients of Private Clinics Hospitals had statistically significantly higher rate of no family history of hypertension than Primary Health Care centers. 2. Primary Health Care centers had statistically significantly higher knowledge of hypertension than Private Clinics Hospitals. Primary Health Care centers had statistically significantly higher treatment compliance than Private Clinics Hospitals. Conclusion: Both Primary Health Care centers and Private Clinics Hospitals are high medication compliance but low lifestyle compliance with hypertension. We need to recognize the importance of lifestyle compliance, to apply proper programs and to provide therapists' aggressive intervention.

• 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.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.106-112
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• 2023

Purpose: This study developed a shelter for dementia programs based on primary health care posts; and examined its effectiveness in rural older adults. Methods: This study used a case report provided by a primary healthcare post in Jeonnam, Korea, in 2023. A single group pre-test post-test design was used; for three months, and 10 older adults participated in the shelter for dementia programs based on the primary health care post. The effectiveness of the intervention was measured immediately after entering the shelter for dementia programs. Results: There were significant differences between the pre-test and post-test on the cognitive impairment screening test (p=.005). Conclusion: The shelter for dementia programs based on primary health care posts was effective in improving cognitive impairments of rural older adults.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.69-78
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• 2013

Objectives : Health cooperative movement is of increasing concern among medical consumers and professionals in Korea. Most health cooperative clinics provide Western Medicine and Korean Medicine(KM) to patients. This study aimed to evaluate the primary care level of health cooperative KM clinics and compare it with local KM clinics in Korea. Methods : Face to face survey was performed at the 3 health cooperative KM clinics and 5 local KM clinics with the Korean Primary Care Assessment Tool (KPCAT). The KPCAT consists of 5 domains (21 items): first contact (5), coordination function (3), comprehensiveness (4), family/community orientation (4), and personalized care (5). Subjects were patients or guardians who had visited KM clinics five times or more during the last 3 months. We compared primary care scores of each domain between health cooperative KM clinics and local KM clinics. Results : Data were collected from 200 respondents (100 patients from health cooperative KM clinics and 100 local KM clinics). Total average scores of the KPCAT for health cooperative clinics and local KM clinics were $81.1{\pm}12.0$ and $75.4{\pm}9.5$, respectively. Among primary care domains, personalized care was the highest ($89.2{\pm}12.0$, $89.6{\pm}8.4$, respectively), and comprehensiveness function was the lowest ($68.5{\pm}22.5$, $54.5{\pm}22.0$, respectively). Significant differences between two groups were noted in comprehensiveness function (68.5 vs. 54.5, P=0.000), family-community orientation (79.5 vs. 73.0, P=0.004), first contact(89.2 vs 84.0, p=0.001) and coordination function(74.0 vs 68.7, p=0.025). Conclusions : Based on the patients assessment, health cooperative KM clinics provide more primary care-oriented services than local KM clinics. This means that health cooperative clinic can be one of alternatives to strengthen the primary health care in Korea. Future researches are recommended to measure patients satisfaction and treatment effectiveness in the health cooperative clinics.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.45-54
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide a survey of patients with dementia registered and managed by primary health care posts. Method: Computation of 2016 dementia data registered in Health Care Center programs of 14 municipalities in ChoongNam province was analyzed. Data collection was done based on a pretest for dementia prevention and general management of registered dementia patients. Results: Results showed; Screening tests for dementia, 40% of population 60 or over, average number of cases, 174, average number of dementia registrants, 3.1, programs for prevention, approximately 70% special policy measures and 28% cognitive rehabilitation programs, counseling and education operating well overall, average number of dementia registrants/clinic 11.8, with women accounting for 70%, elders with less than 3 years of education, 75%, residence type cohabitation by married couples, 41%, and elders with Alzheimer type dementia, 64%. Conclusion: During early detection of dementia and follow-up examinations, high-risk groups (women, elders) should receive a dementia examination. In management of dementia there is a need to develop various programs including physical, economic, and emotional support not only for patients, but also for families. Health care managers also need systematic education to give them expert knowledge of dementia and management of dementia.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.257-263
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• 2015

Objectives: Although the prevalence of depressive disorders in South Korea's general population is known, no reports on the prevalence of depression among patients who visit primary care facilities have been published. This preliminary study was conducted to identify the prevalence of depressive disorder in patients that visit two primary care facilities. Methods: Among 231 consecutive eligible patients who visited two primary care settings, 184 patients consented to a diagnostic interview for depression by psychiatrists following the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV criteria. There were no significant differences in sociodemographic characteristics such as gender, age, or level of education between the groups that consented and declined the diagnostic examination. The prevalence of depressive disorder and the proportion of newly diagnosed patients among depressive disorder patients were calculated. Results: The prevalence of depressive disorder of patients in the two primary care facilities was 14.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.1 to 19.2), with major depressive disorder 5.4% (95% CI, 2.1 to 8.7), dysthymia 1.1% (95% CI, 0.0 to 2.6), and depressive disorder, not otherwise specified 7.6% (95% CI, 3.7 to 11.5). Among the 26 patients with depressive disorder, 19 patients were newly diagnosed. Conclusions: As compared to the general population, a higher prevalence of depressive disorders was observed among patients at two primary care facilities. Further study is needed with larger samples to inform the development of a primary care setting-based depression screening, management, and referral system to increase the efficiency of limited health care resources.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.23-35
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• 1981

Health policy is directed to equity in the provision of primary care for rural people before the year of 2, 000. This study aimed to define and identify the need for physician's care by using empirical data, and suggested an alternative of the primary care delivery system in rural areas to the government. 1. Twenty percent of the study population wanted to obtain any form of medical care services. : 9.3 percent of the population was in need for physician's care; 15 percent of the need was met by physicians, while 85 percent remained unmet at the time of survey in 1979. 2. For meeting all the need for physician's primary care, 2.9 annual physician visits per capita are demanded. An alternative, which was devised in some favourable way at reasonable cost in rural settings, was suggested. It was to deploy the physician extender such as community health practitioner in the infrastructure of the health care delivery system, whose supervision is provided by physician, based on experience of the KHDI health demonstration project. 3. One physician, two community health practitioners and two community health aides should be assigned in distant locations for meeting all the estimated need for physician's primary care for 10, 000 rural underserved residents.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.79-86
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of Clonorchiasis and factors related to it among inhabitants of the area near the Sumjin River. Method: The data were collected from December 16, 2008 to January 10, 2009. Participants were 511 people who responded to a questionnaire. The formalinesther sedimentation technique was used to detect Clonorchiasis. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, $x^2$-test with the SPSS WIN 14.0 program. Results: The prevalence of Clonorchiasis by stool examination was 21.3%. There were statistically significant differences in prevalence of Clonorchiasis by gender ($x^2$=5.71, p=0.017), habit of eating raw fish ($x^2$=13.26, p<0.001), and alcohol consumption ($x^2$=10.54, p=0.032). The mean score for knowledge on Clonorchiasis was 10.68 (range 0-17) and there was no significant difference between the Clonorchiasis positive group and Clonorchiasis negative group. There were statistically significant differences in intention to change their habits of eating raw fish between Clonorchiasis positive group and Clonorchiasis negative group ($x^2$=26.10, p<0.001). Clonorchiasis positive group's intention was lower than the others. Conclusion: These results suggest that the prevalence of Clonorchiasis still high among the inhabitants in near the Sumjim River. Therefore, an effective management program for Clonorchiasis should be developed and administered.