• Infection and chemotherapy
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.319-327
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• 2018

Background: Lancet-related needlestick injuries (NSIs) occur steadily in clinical practices. Safety-engineered devices (SEDs) can systematically reduce NSIs. However, the use of SEDs is not active and no study to guide the implementation of SEDs was known in South Korea. The lancet-related NSIs may be eliminated to zero incidence using a SED lancet with effective sharp injury protection and reuse prevention features. Materials and Methods: We implemented a SED lancet by replacing a conventional prick lancet in a tertiary hospital in a sequential approach. A spot test of the new SED was conducted for 1 month to check the acceptability in practice and a questionnaire survey was obtained from the healthcare workers (HCWs). A pilot implementation of the SED lancet in 2 wards was made for 1 year. Based on these preliminary interventions, a hospital-wide full implementation of the SED lancet was launched. The incidence of NSIs and cost expenditure before and after the intervention were compared. Results: There were 29 cases of conventional prick lancet-related NSIs for 3 years before the full implementation of SED lancet. The proportion of prick lancet-related NSIs among yearly all kinds of NSIs during two years before the pilot study was average 11.7% (22/188). Pre-interventional baseline incidence of all kinds of NSIs was 7.01 per 100 HCW-years. After the full implementation of SED lancet, the lancet-related NSIs became zero in the 2nd year (P = 0.001). The average direct cost of 18,393 US dollars (USD) per year from device and post-exposure medical care before the intervention rose to 20,701 USD in the 2nd year of the intervention. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was 210 USD per injury avoided. Conclusion: The implementation of a SED lancet could eliminate the lancet-related NSIs to zero incidence. The cost increase incurred by the use of SED lancet was tolerable.

• Journal of the Health Care and Life Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.111-118
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• 2022

This study aimed to differences of satisfaction among the 182 medical technologists (MT) in Korea according to gender, age, carrier, employment status, and hospital type. The results showed that the overall mean of the total satisfaction score is 3.33 and interpersonal satisfaction was the highest with 3.83, followed by job satisfaction, education satisfaction, affiliation satisfaction, working environment satisfaction, leisure satisfaction, turnover intention. The job satisfaction of MT increased with age and experience, and with full-time employees (P<0.05). In order to increase job satisfaction and reduce turnover intentions of MT, practical changes in welfare, wages, and working environment should be considered for both regular and non-regular workers in their 20s with 1 to 3 years of experience who had the lowest job satisfaction and the highest intention to leave. Analysis of these factors, it is expected that the result of this study will serve as important reference material for identifying the intention of turnover and establishing an effective personnel policy.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.5
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• pp.435-442
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• 2024

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the significance of associations between knowledge, professional ethics, institutional support, perceptions regarding HIV/AIDS, and HIV/AIDS-related stigma among health workers in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving health workers at public hospitals and health centers in West Sumatra in June 2022. The Health Care Provider HIV/AIDS Stigma Scale was employed to assess the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. To estimate and evaluate the model's ability to explain the proposed constructs, we utilized the standardized partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM). Results: In total, 283 individuals participated in this study (average age, 39 years). The majority were female (91.2%), nearly half were nurses (49.5%), and 59.4% had been working for more than 10 years. The study revealed that HIV/AIDS-related stigma persisted among health workers. The PLS-SEM results indicated that all latent variables had variance inflation factors below 5, confirming that they could be retained in the model. Knowledge and professional ethics significantly contributed to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related stigma, with an effect size (f²) of 0.15 or greater. In contrast, perceived and institutional support had a smaller impact on HIV-related stigma, with an effect size (f²) of at least 0.02. The R² value for health worker stigma was 0.408, suggesting that knowledge, professional ethics, institutional support, and perceived support collectively explain 40.8% of the variance in stigma. Conclusions: Improving health workers' understanding of HIV, fostering professional ethics, and strengthening institutional support are essential for reducing HIV-related stigma in this population.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.53-59
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• 2001

This study was aimed to survey the level of service education in the people engaging in medical services and identify the influence of the education on their job performance. This study was conducted from February 10th, 2000 to March 10th, 2000, centering on Seoul and Kyonggi area. A total of 341 questionnaires were distributed for the survey. The result ware as followings: (1) In a question about the satisfaction over general medical services such as the location of medical institutions, medical equipments and devices, and the attitudes of medical personnel, the group with service education marked 4.07 while the group with no education earned 3.97, showing statistically significant difference(p<.05). (2) In the area of medical institutions image, level of medical services and promotion, the group with service education showed 4.01 while the group with no education gained 3.83, also showing statistically significant difference(p<.05). (3) No statistically meaningful difference was revealed in the area of satisfaction for over all medical services such as the contentment about the medical services being provided, rooms for improvement and the adequacy of the number of medical personnel. The group with education acquired 3.32, with the group with no education 3.34. (4) Satisfaction about the education and awareness about medical services were high in the group of dental hygienists and showed a statistically meaningful difference. (5) The average number of education recorded 1.83 and satisfaction over service education inside the hospital was low, registering 3.24. (6) Teamwork among the personnel in the hospital was 3.70, which is relatively high. The fulfillment over given tasks posted 3.56 and the recommendation for medical institutions was low, recording 3.24. (7) The necessity of medical service education for medical personnel gained 4.40, indicating heightened awareness over the need for service education.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.26-40
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• 2001

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to develop task guidelines for hospice team members. The task range of all personnel who work for hospice institutions was identified, and a tool describing roles and tasks of the hospice team members was developed based on review of related literature, both domestic and international. Methods : The content validity of the tool was assured by an expert panel through two phases of discussion. The first phase of the study included a survey conducted from December 1999 to January 2000 for a total of 126 hospice experts and practitioners affiliated with domestic hospice institutions. The second phase of the study included 35 subjects. The data were collected using a survey when the investigators visited each hospice institution. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results : 1) In the first phase of the study, all items scored over 80 points in CVI were selected as the roles and tasks of hospice coordinator, nurse, pastor, social worker, pharmacist, nutritionist, therapist, volunteer, and nurse aide. However, two items were excluded because they scored below 80 points: an item describing eligibility of a physician, a person who has a license for managing anesthetic agents was scored as 78.6 points, and an item describing the eligibility of the team leader of volunteers, a person educated at the graduate level was scored as 74.7 points. 2) In the second phase of the study, all items scored over 80 points in CVI were selected as the roles and tasks of hospice nurse, pastor, social worker, pharmacist, nutritionist, therapist, volunteer, and nurse aide. Of the roles of the hospice coordinator, however, the item scored as 77.9 points, assess and plan a patients physical, social, emotional, and spiritual status, and, of the roles of the team leaders of volunteers, the item scored as 78.6, attend a team meeting once a week and participate in building an standard nursing plan for patients were included in the tool since they scored over 80 points in the first phase of the study. Conclusion : The developed task guideline should be further modified and revised based on the findings of a preliminary application in the actual field. There is also a need of continuous research for developing more culturally-appropriate task guidelines for hospice team members.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.24 no.1 s.79
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• pp.129-140
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to understand the labor division between men's housework and market work and to research the change of men's contribution to housework. And it was also examined what kinds of valuables work on a change in men's market work and housework. The information about men's change in the labor division was collected from the biggest 5 news papers in Korea for last five years for this study. And either men's new participation trend to household work did. Words searched for this study were men, labor, family, home, housewife, work, household work, father etc. Korean men have experienced a overloaded breadwinner role and have worked most in the world since 1960s. But Korean men's working time was continuously decreased a little every year. As Korean Companies had fired many worker during IMP economic crisis period, Korean men had to work more than before because of decreased fellows and they should have concentrated on their work at the sacrifice of private life and family-sharing time. On the other hand, some men were started to participate to do housework as a results of long-unemployment and early retirement after this periods. 5 day working system be in forced gradually since 2003 especially make men come back home and interest on housework. So Korean men's housework participation is gradually increasing by the practical application of sex-equitable politics such as 5 day working system and men's suspension regime for baby care. father's increased participation to children education and care, men's new family-oriented life style, dual-sexuality education system, and socially changed perception to husband housemaker. These interrelated trends demands us to shape a new labor division pattern in the family that make change the breadwinner/homemaker conception by the gender role. Now, all of family, men, women, and children have to join housework. It would help women, men, and all families make more human and equitable relationship.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.225-235
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• 2010

This study was aimed to assess the status of working environment, health care management status and cause of exposure in manufactories using dimethylformamide (DMF). For the purpose, airborne concentration of DMF in the workplaces and N-methylformamide (NMF) in worker's urine were measured with job type and process. In addition, management of local exhaust ventilation system (LEV) and personal protective equipment (PPE) was evaluated at 35 work places (107 workers) located in Busan and Gimhae area. Mean DMF concentrations in work places by job type and process were of high level measured in printing and record media reproduction (5.23 ppm) and flaking process (2.48 ppm). Workers in adhesive job were measured a large amount of urine NMF (21.59 mg/${\ell}$). 98.1% of DMF handling workers were provided respirators, but 67.3% of those workers used them. The main reasons for not using respirators were inconvenience and difficulty of breathing. Airborne concentrations of DMF were higher in the workplaces in which LEVs were working abnormally, but there was not statistically significant. In addition, the urine NMF levels were correlated with management of LEV within the workers who did not use the respirators (p<0.048). These results implied that LEV should be installed and maintained properly to protect the workers from the exposure to DMF. Management of PPE should be also necessary to protect the workers from chemical hazards.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.324-334
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• 1998

Background : Strategic planning is an organizationwide or systemwide, ongoing look into the future usually of 2~3 years, based on objective analysis of the current environment and trends, but it can incorporate both short-term and long-term goals. The strategic planning process includes external analysis, internal analysis, issue analysis, development of mission, vision and values, and lastly development of organizational goals and objectives. As a part of the strategic quality planning process, certain service lines, important organizationwide functions, or key processes supporting these functions can be prioritized to expedite and roll out certain strategic goals. This is called strategic quality initiatives. Methods : We organized a quality improvement team, a subgroup of 21st century vision planning corps of our medical center, and pursued QI activities for improvement of healthcare environment, particularly in the admission setting. We developed a strategic quality initiative based on the results of patient satisfaction surveys, and carried out functions of self-directed work team. Results : The strategic goal was to be the benchmark for peer group hospitals in Korea for providing cost-effective best-practice. The QI team included 3 medical doctors, 1 nurse, 1 social worker, and 1 QI consultant as well as many operational members to support services and quality initiatives met every Tuesday for 18 weeks. Outcome objectives were to improve patient satisfaction score. The issues included in the objectives were comfort, temperature, noise, cleanliness of the admission wards, quality and education of patient meals, matters regarding the admission process, and an appurtenant facility such as restaurant or convenience store. Every issue was discussed and recommendations, conclusions and opportunities were implemented. Conclusions : By developing a strategic quality initiative as a part of the strategic quality planning process, and pursuing a self-directed work team, certain sen/ice lines, important organizationwide functions, or key processes supporting these functions can be improved effectively within a short period. Strategic quality initiatives serve to support, or roll out, certain strategic goals that are relevant to performance improvement and development of specific measurable outcome objectives, and associated performance measure for each initiative. Each strategic quality initiative should include a statement of intent outcome objectives, and performance measures. We will come back with follow up of the strategic quality initiative, for improvement of healthcare environment, and results of patient satisfaction re-survey.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.360-369
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• 2020

This study examined and compared the droplet infection prevention activity and cough etiquette knowledge among nursing hospital workers. Data were collected from March 4 to 29, 2019, through personal interviews using a questionnaire in 177 nursing hospital workers (health care provider: n=61, non-health care provider: n=116). The data were analyzed using a x²-test, Fisher's exact test, independent t-test, and ANOVA. The general characteristics were statistically significant between the two groups in terms of sex and age. The prevention activities of droplet infection showed statistically significant differences between the two groups in usually carrying a tissue, usually carrying a handkerchief, usually carrying a mask, carrying a handkerchief at respiratory symptoms, hand washing frequency, and cough etiquette compliance. Knowledge of cough etiquette showed significant differences between the two groups. The knowledge of cough etiquette, according to the non-health provider's prevention activities of droplet infection, was statistically significant in usually carrying a mask and cough etiquette education. Therefore, it is necessary to raise the knowledge about cough etiquette and develop strategies for habitual cough etiquette for each nursing hospital worker.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.253-263
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted to analyze the association between spirituality and stress of mental health social workers, which could be used in development of a program to help them manage stress and offer spiritual support. Methods: Participants were 154 mental health social workers in Korea. Data were collected from November 1 through November 30, 2011. The study employed the Korean version of the Spirituality Scale and Psychosocial Well-being Index-Short Form (PWI-SF). Data were analyzed using SPSS/Windows 17.0. Results: The mean score for the Spirituality Scale was 3.63 and for PWI-SF 18.78. Spirituality scores showed a significant difference among participants by age, education, religion and marital status. Psychosocial stress scores also significantly differed by marital status. Spirituality scores were negatively correlated with psychosocial stress scores (r=-0.548, P<0.001). Conclusion: In this study, a significant negative association was found between spirituality and stress in mental health social workers in Korea. A follow-up study with a larger sample of participants is needed to confirm these findings.