• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.249-258
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• 2007

Objectives : The aims of this study were to estimate the antihypertensive medication adherence in people with a disability and a history of taking antihypertensive medication, and to identify the factors affecting medication adherence. Methods : The National Health Insurance claims data were linked with the National Disability Registry. People with a disability, who received a prescription of antihypertensives, were identified from a total of 85,098 cases. Cumulative medication adherence (CMA) was used as an indicator of medication adherence. A CMA > 80% was defined as appropriate medication adherence. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors affecting medication adherence. Results : The average CMA in a total of 85,098 patients was 79.5%. The appropriate adherence $(CMA{\geq}80%)$ rate was 54.5% and 20.5% of patients had a CMA < 50%. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the probability of appropriate adherence decreased with decreasing number of prescription days per visit, increasing number of providers, the patients' residential area moving from urban to rural areas, and when patients have an internal organ disability, auditory impairment, mobility impairment. Conclusions : The adherence to antihypertensive medication in people with a disability is influenced by various socio-economic, clinical and regional factors. In particular, the disabled who have locomotive and communication disabilities and internal organ impairments have a higher probability of under-adherence to antihypertensive medication adherence in Korea.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.11 no.9
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• pp.255-265
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to identify the variation factors of hypertension medication rate between regions and to use them as a basic data for establishment of hypertension management business plan which is customized by region. The data were collected from community health survey, National Statistics Office and National Health Insurance Corporation, and were analyzed using the geographically weighted regression. As the result of analysis, the factors that influenced the hypertension medication rate between regions were subjective recognition rate of health level, the rate of medical aid client and the number of health facility per one hundred thousand of population. According to the geographically weighted regression, the total of 230 regional regression models composed of major variables which affected the hypertension medication rate were calculated. However, this study has several limitations that the explanatory power of model is not high and others. Therefore, a follow-up study which is based on the actual data of compliance with hypertension medication will be necessary.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.611-617
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• 2013

Although tuberculosis can be recovered if patients take medicine consistently, Korea shows significantly high rate in terms of incident rate and death rate of the tuberculosis patients. Considering such a situation, this paper has developed a smart pillbox that facilitates for patients requiring a long-term administration to take medicine in a regular and consistent manner. The developed smart pillbox is equipped with a load cell that can measure the weight in unit of 0.1g so that it can determine whether or not the medicine is dispensed out of itself. In addition, a software has been developed to determine the status of patient's taking medicine based on the measurement result.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.8 no.9
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• pp.1391-1397
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• 2013

As Korea is expected to enter an aging society in near future, the number of patients who need a long-term prescription is expected to increase as well. In particular, Korea shows the highest in both the incident rate and the death rate among OECD member nations. The current situation requires more strict monitoring and management for patients' taking medicine, there are a few practical problems such as personnel expenses. In order to realize the efficient management of medicine administration, this paper proposes a smart pillbox that is developed based on IT technologies. Through the experiments in which actual patients participate, it is proved that the smart pillbox is beneficial to the patients taking medicine.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.284-291
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• 2007

Purpose : Theophylline has recently been reported to have concurrent anti-inflammatory effects at low therapeutic plasma concentrations which are below the doses at which significants, clinically useful bronchodilatation is evident. Sustained-release formulation in capsule and dry syrup forms were developed to reduce its adverse effects and improve its clinical effects. We compared the therapeutic effects of theophylline dry syrup and capsules in children with mild asthma. Methods : Ninety children with mild asthma were randomized to receive either theophylline dry syrup (n=44) or theophylline capsules (n=46); 4 mg per kilogram of body weight, twice a day, for 12 weeks. Baseline and serial measurements of daytime and nighttime asthma symptom score were performed. Compliance scores, drug swallowing scores, and drug usability scores were measured every 4 weeks. Each scoring was rated on a scale of 0-4. Serum theophylline concentration were measured at 4 and at 12 weeks. To examine the anti-inflammatory effect of theophylline on asthma, Serum eosinophilic cationic protein as a marker of airway inflammation caused by eosinophil was measured 12 weeks pre- and post-administration. Results : The daytime and nighttime asthma symptom scores of the two groups after 4 weeks significantly improved over the baseline score. Daytime and nighttime asthma symptom scores in the dry syrup group were statistically lower at all time points except for the nighttime symptom scores at 4 weeks. Compliance scores, drug swallowing scores, and drug usability scores in the dry syrup group were significantly higher at the end time point. Only in the dry syrup group was the serum ECP at the end time point statistically lower than baseline. Conclusion : Low-dose sustained-release theophylline may be safe and effective in bronchial asthma and this effect may be mediated by its anti-inflammatory action mechanisms. Especially, when used in children with asthma, dry syrup formulation is recommended because of its higher compliance than capsule formulation.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.128-143
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• 2010

Objectives : This study aims to estimate the oral antihyperglycemic medications adherence among ambulatory care with adult type 2 diabetes patients and to identify factors affecting the medication adherence in Korea. Methods : This study used the Korean National Health Insurance Database. Study population was 40,082 patients who were 20 years of age or older and first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (ICD-10: E11) in 2004. The patients were followed up for two years in order to measure adherence with oral antihyperglycemic medications. The level of medication adherence was measured by the medication possession ratio (MPR). Results : The average MPR in the study population was 49.5%. The appropriate adherence rate (MPR$\geq$80%) was 29.4% and showed variation according to the characteristics of individual patients. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds of appropriate adherence increased with female (OR:1.21, CI:1.14-1.27), older age, increasing ambulatory care visits, health insurance (OR:1.53, CI:1.33-1.76), decreasing ambulatory care providers, using a specialized general hospital as their main attending medical institution (OR:10.08, CI:8.96-11.33), having co-morbidity, using polytherapy (OR:1.07, CI:1.01-1.13). Conclusions : The medications adherence for patient with type 2 diabetes is low in Korea, and shows variation according to the characteristics of patients. For proper management of diabetes, health care policy is expected to be enacted to improve medications adherence continuously. In particular, more intensive management is needed for patients with low medications adherence. Also, health care policy makers need to develop the program to induce health care utilization by a patient to be more concentrated with the same provider.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.292-300
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• 2021

Background: Medication adherence in hypertension is the most important to control blood pressure and prevent major complications. The purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting medication adherence and to examine the relationship between medication adherence and blood pressure control in Korea. Methods: This study used data from the 7th Korea national health and nutrition examination survey (2016-2018) of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. We selected 4,063 hypertensive patients from the data. And we choose socio-demographic, health behavior, healthcare utilization, and severity characteristics as hypertensive patient characteristics. Results: Of the patients with hypertension, 92.3% had shown adherence to medication as of 2016-2018 and shows variation according to the characteristic of patients. The cases with male, under 50 years old, urban area, single household, unmet medical services, less than 5 years of hypertension duration, no comorbidities (diabetes mellitus, myocardial infarction) showed significantly low medication adherence. After adjusting for confounders, adherent patients tended to have lower current systolic blood pressure (β=-10.846, p<0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (β=-5.018, p<0.001) than nonadherent patients. And, adherent patients increased the control odds of blood pressure compared with nonadherent patients (odds ratio, 3.02; 95% confidence interval, 2.21-4.12). Conclusion: This study confirmed that adherence to antihypertensive drugs was effective in controlling blood pressure. In order to more actively manage hypertensive patients at the national level, it is necessary to make an effort to improve the medication compliance of nonadherent groups, such as early-diagnosis patients, young patients under 50 years of age, and patients living alone.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2014

Objectives : This study aimed to investigate the psychiatric status of HIV-infected/AIDS inpatients in a general hospital over the past 2.5 years. Methods : A retrospective chart review was conducted of psychiatric consultations performed between January 1, 2011, and July 30, 2013. The records of 97 HIV-infected/AIDS patients were analyzed. These included a total of 282 psychiatric consultations. Results : Of the 97 patients, 91(93.8%) were male, the mean age was 48 years, and mean number of consultations was 2.8. Depressed mood was reported in 102 consultations(23.8%), insomnia in 60(14.0%), and anxiety in 31(7.2%). Psychiatric disorders diagnosed on initial consultation included depressive disorder(37 patients ; 37.0%), cognitive disorder(11 ; 11.0%), and delirium(9 ; 9.0%). Recommended psychotropic medication included Lorazepam(99 ; 17.2%), Escitalopram(90 ; 15.7%), and Quetiapine(84 ; 14.6%). Conclusions : The main complaints of HIV-infected/AIDS patients were depressed mood, insomnia, and suicidal ideation(including suicide attempts). In total, 85(93.3%) patients of those consulted were diagnosed as meeting the criteria for a psychiatric condition. However, considering that only 16.9% of patients consulted received follow-up treatment, longitudinal research is needed to examine the influence of psychiatric disorders on the transmission of HIV-infection/AIDS, as well as on prognosis and treatment adherence.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.37-45
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• 2008

Objectivesthe hypertension control in the rural area.Method: 6 health centers and 59 health subcenters in some Chung-chung province was surveyed. And 29,503 patients were finally selected who had records of prescription about hypertension at list once in those medical doctor was a medical specialist or not, and whether the facilities were recently rebuilded or not was measured.Results: The Overall control rate was 53.9%. Women had higher hypertension control rate than men. And 60s and 70s years old are had higher hypertension control rate than 40s and 80s years old. Patients who patient who treated in rebuilded public health facilities had higher hypertension control rate.Conclusions: Rebuilding of public health facilities were related to increasing control rate of hypertensive patients.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2000

Purpose: It has recently been recognized that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is an important factor in the pathogenesis of recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) in children. But, the best treatment for H. pylori infection is still unsettled. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of 2 weeks dual therapy with proton pump inhibitor (PPI) and amoxicillin for children with H. pylori infection associated with RAP. Method: Our study included 24 children with RAP who were H. pylori positive assessed by CLO test and histologic examination (silver stain). We used the regimen consisted of PPI (omeprazole, 0.7 mg/kg/day) and amoxicillin (50 mg/kg/day) for 2 weeks to eradicate H. pylori. Eradication of H. pylori was determined 4 weeks after the termination of treatment using the CLO test and histologic examination. Results: The endoscopic diagnoses of patients were nodular gastritis in 11 cases, superficial gastritis in 7 cases, peptic ulcer in 4 cases and normal finding in 2 cases. H. pylori was eradicated in 12 cases by omeprazole and amoxicillin dual therapy for 2 weeks and the eradication rate was 50%. In 4 of 12 children in whom H. pylori had not been eradicated with that regimen, we successfully eradicated H. pylori with other regimens of which 2 or 3 drugs among omeprazole, amoxicillin, clarithromycin, colloidal bismuth subcitrate ($Denol^{(R)}$) and metronidazole were used. Conclusion: The dual therapy with PPI and amoxicillin for 2 weeks had no clear advantage over other regimens for the eradication of H. pylori infection in children. We concluded that the combi-nation of PPI and amoxicillin for 2 weeks is not so good for H. pylori eradication as other commonly used regimens.