Objectives: This study investigated the financial performance of Korean Medicine hospitals in Korea in order to understand the current status of hospital management and improve its efficiency. Methods: Financial statements of 24 medical corporations, 19 juridical foundations and 18 school hospitals from 2016 to 2018 were obtained from the secondary data published by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the National Tax Service and the Korea Advancing Schools Foundation. Financial performance was measured on 6 dimensions: liquidity, profitability, activity, growth, cost and productivity (investment efficiency) by analyzing 8 financial indicators: Liability to Total Assets, Net Profit to Patient Service Revenues, Total Assets Turnover, Growth Rate of Patient Service Revenues, Operating Expenses to Patient Service Revenues, Value Added to Patient Service Revenues, Value Added to Total Assets, and Value Added to Personnel Expenses. Results: Korean Medicine hospitals showed lower Liability to Total Assets, Liquidity and Value Added to Total Assets than Western Medicine hospitals did. They also showed higher Value Added to Patient Service Revenues and Value Added to Personnel Expenses than Western Medicine hospitals did. They also showed higher Value Added to Patient Service Revenues and Value Added to Personnel Expenses than those of Western Medicine hospitals do. The net profit decreased significantly (-50.8%) in 2018 whereas Patient Service Revenues increased (6.9%) for the same period due to Operating Expenses increase and Non-Operating loss. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the Korean Medicine hospital sector in Korea needs to improve liquidity and financial structure and to enhance profitability by reducing Personnel Expenses and generating Non-operating revenues in order to improve its investment efficiency and competitiveness.

Objectives: We noticed that hyperhidrosis can be differentiated by whether it is topical or systemic in both Korean medicine(KM) and Modern medicine(MM). Comparing between topical and systemic sweating, we will figure out similarity between KM and MM about stimuli on sweat. Methods: All research is done by finding information on text-book, article, books. Results: Hyperhidrosis is differentiated by whether it is topical or systemic in both Korean medicine(KM) and Modern medicine(MM). First, systemic sweating(SS) is affected by body temperature. In KM, Heat and Cold(plus yang deficiency) can make human sweat systemically. In MM, heat is also mentioned as stimulus. Second, topical sweating(TS) can occur on emotionally-stressed situation especially on palms-and-soles. In KM, this phenomenon is explained by heart spirit(心神) and disease transmitted by pericardium meridian(手厥陰心包經 是動病). In MM, anatomically hyperhidrosis on palms-and-soles is generated by adrenergic sympathetic nerve which is involved with stress. Third, sweating on palms-and-soles also can be generated by internal organ. In KM, hyperhidrosis on palms-and-soles is explained as illness on stomach meridian(足陽明胃經). The 70% of parasympathetic nerve is vagus nerve which is located at internal organs-usually gastrointestinal tract. In that point, stomach and parasympathetic nerve seem to be involved in hyperhidrosis on palms-and-soles. Conclusion: Hyperhidrosis is differentiated similarly by whether it is topical or systemic in both Korean medicine and Modern medicine. Conserving each perspective of KM and MM, one perspective can be useful to other by supplementing other's weak point.

Objectives: This study was aimed to develop a pharmacovigilance practice training course for future doctors of Korean medicine, the graduate students of a college of Korean medicine, and to verify the educational effect of the curriculum. Methods: Fifty-six students were given a training course designed as follows: 1) pre-class homework (basic theory self-study, online course, causality assessment, and adverse event reporting simulation); 2) in-class: homework submission and case discussion; 3) after-class: homework revision and resubmission. An online survey to assess the change of the level of basic knowledge and attitudes toward pharmacovigilance, the willingness to report adverse events, and self-efficacy for the causality assessment and adverse event reporting was conducted before and after education. Results: The survey participation rate was 96.5% in pre-education and 64.3% in the post-education survey. After education, knowledge level was improved (mean score from 4.3±2.11 to 6.7±1.96 points, modal value from 3 to 8 points) and positive changes were observed in almost all questions on attitudes. In the post-education survey, more students felt that they could do causality assessment (from 13% to 80.5%), could report adverse events to the agency in charge (from 7.4% to 96.2%), and expressed their strong willingness to report adverse events in the future (from 77.8% to 88.9%) than in the pre-education survey. Conclusions: More schools of Korean medicine need to adopt pharmacovigilance training courses in their curriculum to foster future doctors of Korean medicine with pharmacovigilance capabilities. Such efforts will be the basis for achieving an evidence-based, safe use of herbal medicine.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate relationships between Ryodoraku and carbon monoxide concentration during expiration of smokers. This study was designed as an exploratory observational study. This study was based on the hypothesis that increased levels of carbon monoxide in the smoker's breath may affect indicators that reflect the respiratory and circulatory systems in the Ryodoraku test. Methods: The participants were 49 people who smoked for over a year. They were examined at least one hour after their last smoking. They were tested in a stable state. When examining carbon monoxide during expiration, they breathed deeply, kept breathing for 20 seconds, and slowly exhaled. The Ryodoraku test was performed on its representative points of twelve meridians. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to investigate correlation between the concentration of carbon monoxide in the breath and the current in the measurement points. Results: The higher the carbon monoxide concentration in the exhalation, the significantly greater the current value of Lt H1·both H2·Lt H3·Rt H5, deviation of Lt H1·Lt H2·Lt H3 current value and the laterality between right and left current of H3. Conclusion: The more cigarette smoked, the more changes in heart, lung, pericardium and triple energizer meridians were observed in the Ryodoraku test. I found that increased carbon monoxide in smokers could affect the results of the Ryodoraku test.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pharmacopuncture and bee venom acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis. Methods: We searched for randomized controlled trials that investigated the effects of pharmacopuncture and bee venom acupuncture on knee osteoarthritis through the electronic databases including Pubmed, EMBASE, Cochrane, CiNii, CNKI, KMBASE, KISS, NDSL, and OASIS. Meta-analysis was performed by Review Manager software and the quality of included studies were assessed by the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Results: A total of 20 articles with 1536 participants were identified. 12 trials about phamacopuncture and 8 trials about bee venom acupuncture showed significant improvement than sham treatment, western medicine treatment, and other Korean medicine treatment such as acupuncture in diverse scales. Six trials reported adverse events. Conclusions: These findings showed certain efficacy and safety of pharmacopuncture and bee venom acupuncture. It would be helpful for patients and Korean medicine doctors in the choice of the treatment for knee osteoarthritis. Well-designed studies with long term follow up and more number of participants should be conducted to strengthen the evidence of the use of pharmacopuncture and bee venom acupuncture.

Objectives: To observe the effects on liver and kidney of gynecology patients' during long term Korean Medicine. Methods: This research was conducted as a panel study on 29 female gynecology patients at Korean medicine clinic and compares their conditions before, 3 months after, and 6 months after Intake of Korean medicine. This analysis was conducted to frequency(%), repeated measure ANOVA and significantly statistics was p<0.05, confidence interval. Results: The most common conditions among the subjects were polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, adenomyosis, and uterine myoma. Except in a few instances, liver functions (AST, ALT, γ-GTP) were within the normal range before and after the intake of Korean medicine. Further, while there was a slight change in liver functions when three months and six months after the intake, but there was no statistical significance (p>0.05). As for the kidney functions (BUN, Creatinine, BUN/Creatinine), they were within the normal range before and after the intake of Korean medicine. Further, while there was a slight change in kidney functions three months and six months after the intake, there was no statistical significance(p>0.05) either. Conclusions: Based on these results, it can be concluded that Korean medicine does not have a negative impact on the gynecology patients' liver and kidney.

Objectives: The aim of this review is to ascertain whether Bojungikgi-tang and its modifications is more effective than non-specific management in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Methods: We collected clinical trials to investigate the effects of Bojungikgi-tang and non-specific management on general symptoms, fatigue, and sleep quality in CFS patients. The databases used for data retrieval were Pubmed, Central Cochrane, CNKI, VIP, CiNii, OASIS, RISS, and Koreamed. We performed selection/exclusion process from the found records according to prespecified criteria, and assessed the final included trials according to the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The included studies were classified on the basis of interventions in experimental group. Results: Seven randomized controlled trials (476 participants) were eligible and their results were synthesized in the meta-analysis. The synthesis showed a substantial effect of Bojungikgi-tang (relative risk 0.20 [95% CI 0.13 to 0.31], Z=7.44, P<0.00001; I²=0%) and combination of Bojungikgi-tang and Sosiho-tang (relative risk 0.15 [95% CI 0.08 to 0.28], Z=5.85, P<0.00001; I²=0%) compared with non-specific management on improvement of general symptoms. However, we could not find sufficient clinical research records to determine their effects of improvement on fatigue and sleep quality. Conclusions: Bojungikgi-tang and its modifications are more effective than non-specific management for improvement of general symptoms in CFS post-treatment.

Objectives: To overcome the limitations of randomized controlled trials, many other trials design is tested. The n-of-1 trial is a promising research method in the field of Korean medicine because of this methodology can examine the optimal treatment for each patient strictly. Therefore, we reviewed the status of N-of-1 studies on herbal medicine. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted based on the pubmed database. The search term were 'N-of-1 Trial', 'Chinese Medicine', 'Herbal Medicine', 'Kampo'. There was no restriction in year. Results: Four clinical trials have been identified to demonstrate the effectiveness of herbal medicines for Kidney-yin-deficiency syndrome, bronchiectasis and gastric cancer. These studies suggest that the N-of-1 design is a study that encourages patient involvement, demonstrates the effectiveness of herbal medicines and helps reduce unnecessary medication. Conclusion: The N-of-1 clinical trial may be a rigorous methodology suitable for the clinical setting and may help the development of evidence-based Korean medicine. Attention is also needed in this research method in Korea.

Objectives: Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome(CP/CPPS) is diagnosed on the basis of symptoms, principally pain or discomfort in the pelvic region. Pathophysiology and treatment of this disease has not been established. CP/CPPS's main symptom appears to be an incurable pain and Collateral disease's(絡病) symptoms also appear as incurable pain in general. The purpose of this study is to report the clinical effects of Gyejibokryeong-hwan(桂枝茯苓丸) based on removing Stasis and freeing Collateral disease on CP/CPPS in which pain appears largely. Methods: The patient was treated with Gyejibokryeong-hwan. National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) was used to assess treatment effect. Results: NIH-CPSI and Pelvic pain decreased significantly after treatment. Conclusions: Gyejibokryeong-hwan was effective in treating CP/CPPS. Especially, there was a clear effect on Pelvic pain among the symptoms.