• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.351-359
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• 2019

Neurocognitive testing commonly uses the MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination) to evaluate the overall cognitive function of patients at outpatient clinics, but the MMSE has recently been extensively used in the SNSB II (Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery II) for making diagnoses. We retrospectively investigated the results of routine neurocognitive tests and the results of the blood tests of 120 elderly patients who had been referred to a South Central Medical Center from 2017 to 2018 and who had been examined at a public health center. These subjects' space-time capability was high on the sub-region of the global deterioration scale (GDS). GDS showed a significant increase as the Na decreased on the electrolyte analysis. The subjects' concentration, their language-based orientation for space and time, their memory, and their scores for the frontal lobe function on GDS showed statistically significant reductions (P<0.001) For the normal and abnormal groups according to the ALT and creatinine levels, the frontal/execute function areas showed statistically significant differences (P<0.001) as well as negative correlation between GDS and ALT (P<0.01). In conclusion, this study provides basic information to develop test items that are important for patient screening and diagnosis, and several routine blood chemistry factors provide basic information for diagnosing and assessing the status and progress of cognitively impaired patients.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.70-74
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• 2011

Purpose: In the Nuclear Medicine department of Asan Medical Center, radioactive waste has been disposed of by using several disposal boxes designed for nuclear waste. However, some quantity of radioactivity has been detected occasionally due to some radiologists' carelessness not only from radioactive waste, but also from medical waste such as uncontrolled radioactive waste related to patients, poly gloves or saline solution bottles from radiopharmaceuticals laboratory. Thus, this study is going to suggest a solution to maintain the medical wastes made from controlled areas that can be below maximum permissible surface dose limits by finding the cause of radioactive contamination. Materials and methods: This study was taken place in 17 different places-2 medical wastebaskets in the waiting room, 2 medical wastebaskets in the PET room, 5 medical wastebaskets in the in vitro laboratory and 6 medical wastebaskets in the radiopharmaceuticals laboratory of the East building, 2 medical wastebaskets in the waiting room of the New building of Nuclear Medicine Department in Asan Medical Center from April to August 2010. Mean radioactivity and its standard deviation of each place have been found by measuring surface contamination of medical wastebaskets and backgrounds twice a week, totaling 30 times. An independent t-test of SPSS (Ver. 12.0) statistic program has been used for statistical analysis. Swabs, saline solution bottles and poly gloves collected from each place also measured 30 times, respectively. Results: This study analyzed medical waste and the backgrounds of each place by using survey meter detectors that significant differences of five places did not exist, but existed statistically in twelve places (p<0.05). Also, swabs, saline solution bottles and poly gloves collected from each radioactive waste partly exceed the legal dose limit as a result of measuring by a gamma counter. Conclusion: Backgrounds and the surface doses of radioactive disposal box in all 17 places measured by the survey meter did not exceed the legal dose limit; however, it obviously showed that there were prominent differences in 12 places. Assuming that the cause of the differences was swabs, saline solution bottles and gloves, we examined them by gamma counter, and the results showed remarkably high doses of radioactivity. Consequently, swabs and poly gloves which are normally disposed in the general medical waste box should be disposed in the radioactive waste box furnished by radiopharmaceuticals laboratory. Also, saline solution discharged from radioactive pharmaceutical places is considered as radioactive liquid waste so that it should be disposed of by the septic tank specifically designed for radioactive liquid.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to show the differences of medical cost between hospice and non-hospice care for terminally ill patients. This information provides basic data to nationally institutionalize hospice care for decreasing costs and enhancing quality of life for terminally ill patients. Methods: Participants of this study were 114 terminally ill cancer patients who were diagnosed and died with stomach cancer and lung cancer at the K hospital of the C university. The study was a retrospective survey design that analyzed the medical costs for two weeks before they died. The cost analysis was done according to 11 items form the medical cost bill. Results: Patients enrolled in hospice care had significantly lower medical costs (53%) than did non-hospice patients especially in use of TPN, narcotic analgesics, nursing care, radiology tests, and blood tests. Among patients enrolled/admitted in the hospice unit, there was a significant cost difference only in use of analgesics whether the hospice specialized doctor was in charge of care or not. The cost was significantly lower when a hospice specialized doctor was in charge of care although the total medical cost was the same. Conclusion: This study identified lower medical costs for patients cared for in the hospice unit. Thus, we urge institutionalizing hospice care without delay to insure cost benefits as well as quality care.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.181-209
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• 2012

Employment form and gender as stratification factors may generate health disparities in Korea. Previous studies have examined the existence of health disparities by employment form and gender. However, few studies examined how the health disparities can be reduced effectively. This study intends to confirm the existence of health disparities between employment-gender groups and explore the effective health resources which can reduce the possible disparities. Using a national probability sample of Korean adults collected in 2011, we attempts to test the interaction effects between employment-gender groups and health resources on self-rated health. For health resources, 24 variables of five dimensions(social relationship, psychological resource, activity factor, health behavior, and usage of medical service) are taken into account. In results, first, the health levels of the other three employment-gender groups are worse than that of male-regular workers. Second, the effective health resources which can reduce the health disparities are different across the employment-gender groups. An effective health resource for female-nonregular workers is a peaceful relationship with her children. Effective health resources for male-nonregular workers are peaceful relationships with his parents and siblings, low stress, religious activity, and exercise. An effective health resource for female-regular workers is interpersonal trust. These results imply that personal or social interventions for health of specific disadvantaged groups need to focus on specific resources which are more effective for the groups.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.85-90
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• 2007

Purpose: Usually college students having a strong desire for sexual behavior, thus, knowledge about sexually transmitted disease is very important to prevent infection. The purpose of this study was to assess knowledge about AIDS and STDs in the college students, and to provide a basis for sex education for them. Methods: The subjects were 86 medical students and 59 non-medical students at One University. The data were collected by self-reported questionnaire which were consisted of 19 items (8 for AIDS, 11 for STDs). Results: The frequency of experience in sexual intercourse was significantly higher in males than females (44.0% vs 7.1%, P=0.001) and in medical students than non-medical students (36.1% vs 11.9%, P=0.015). Among 19 questions, 8 questions' score were significantly higher in medical students than non-medical students. Conclusion: Medical students had higher score for knowledge about AIDS and STDs than non-medical students. However there were no difference in the knowledge according to a experience in sexual intercourse.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.109-121
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• 1991

To investigate the period prevalence rate and therapeutic practic for low back pain (LBP) in the adult population of rural area, a personal interview was conducted for 2.024 persons or 20-59 years old in Seohu Myon, Andong County, Kyungpook Province between 1st and 20th of April, 1991. The period prevalence rate (l February 1990-31 January 1991) of LBP for 1,106 adults who were interviewed was $47.9\%$. The age adjusted period prevalence rate for males was $43.7\%$ and that for females was $52.3\%$ and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.005). Clinical course of th LBP was acute in $14.1\%$ of males and $9.0\%$ of females, recurrent in $57.0\%$ and $55.2\%$, and chronic in $28.9\%$ and $35.8\%$, respectively. Common causes of the LBP were insidious on set with aging without known cause$(48.1\%)$, heavy work $(15.1\%)$, and trauma $(11.3\%)$. Due to LBP $12.5\%$ of the patients were not able to stand or walk for more than an hour and $2.5\%$ were bed-ridden or unable to carry out daily routine. To have the LBP diagnosed $10.2\%$ of the patients utilized a oriental medical clinic or hospital, $31.3\%$ visited a clinic or hospital, and $56.6\%$ hat not utilized any medical facility. Main reason for not having the LBP diagnosed was that the LBP was tolerable. The most popular therapeutic method that the LBP patients chose at the first was drug and physical therapy. Herb medicine was most commonly used when the first therapeutic method was not effective and the acupuncture was the most popular choice of therapy when the second therapeutic method failed. Folk medicine was utilized in $15.5\%$ of the LBP patients and it included 36 regimens such as tincture of motherwort (Leonurus sibiricus), boiled chicken with liquor, etc. It was revealed by this survey that the LBP is a serious health problem in the rural area and many of the LBP patients do not utilize a clinic or hospital but take non-scientific folk remedy. To prevent the economic waste and side effects of the folk remedy, public health education is needed for tile rational therapy of LBP.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.11 no.9
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• pp.443-452
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• 2011

This research aims at investigating the factors that affects the wearing of the nuclear protection equipment by radiology students. We measured the factors related to the wearing of the nuclear protection equipment based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB). We collected 192 survey records from 230 radiology students in Kwang-ju and Chun-nam providence who finished the clinical training. Based on Logistic Regression analysis, we found that the wearing of the nuclear protection equipment is statistically more probable as the level of study is lower, the scale of practicing hospital is smaller, the attitude rating is lower, and the rating of perceived behavioral control is higher. We argue that the development of educational program considering factors like the perceived behavioral control is required to enhance the degree of wearing the nuclear protection equipment in the clinical training of college students.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2007

Purpose: Colorectal ranter is the 4th leading cause of cancer death in Korea and the prevalence is increasing continuously. This study was aimed to figure out the problems through the clinical consideration about terminal colorectal ranter patients who had died in hospice unit. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records in 78 patients with colorectal ranter who had admitted, received palliative care, and died in a hospice unit between April 2003 and November 2006. Results: The median age of patients was 59.6 years with 45 men (58%) and 24 women (42%). The median survival in hospice and palliative care was 36 days. The median hospitalization was 22 days. The most prevalent reason for admission was pain (38 patients, 49%), and the most common symptom was also pain (70 patients, 90%). Forty eight patients (62%) took analgesics before hospice referral. Twenty seven patients (65%) of 45 patients with intestinal obstruction have been performed palliative procedures. Median survival of patients with palliative procedure was higher than that of no palliative procedure group (47 days vs 19 days, P-value=0.005). Conclusion: The duration of hospice and palliative care was not enough to care the terminal colorectal cancer. Therefore, we suggest that proper education and information should be provided to physician, patients and their family members for effective hospice and palliative care.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.8 no.12
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• pp.391-395
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• 2017

In this research, we conducted a questionnaire survey of contents necessary for eyeglass dispensing & fitting fee and characterization solution of eyeglass dispensing & fitting fee. From August 1, 2016 to September 30, questionnaires were set up for 202 spectators of Seoul and Gyeonggi area, questionnaire survey was conducted online and offline. Statistical processing of all data was performed using Origin Pro 8.5. 92.1% (186 people) and 93.1% (188 people) were positively evaluating the necessity of introduction for the necessity of introducing eyeglass dispensing & fitting fee, respectively. The result suggested that it is necessary to establish the position of the optician as a medical service expert by providing a more stable policy through analysis of overseas cases of eyeglass dispensing & fitting fee.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.367-393
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• 2013

Quality of life(QoL) of older cancer patients have not gained enough attention from researchers even when cancer is the number one cause of death of Korean elderly. Therefore, this study aims at understanding the QoL of older cancer patients and factors related to it, applying Taylor(2012)'s Stress-Coping Process model, and by comparing with older chronic disease patients and middle-aged cancer patients. Results indicated that physical health QoL of older cancer patients was the worst and their mental health QoL was similar with middle aged cancer patients. Multi-group analysis of Structural Equation Modeling indicated that the relation between QoL and the stress coping resources was not statistically different from older cancer patients and older chronic disease group, as well older cancer patients and middle-aged cancer patients. Implications of results to improve the QoL of older cancer patients are discussed.