• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2012

The objective of this study is to discuss the role of integrative medicine (IM) in contemporary health care settings, and how and which factors affect and facilitate the success of IM in terms of the integration of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and conventional medicine in primary health care (PHC). IM is meant to provide the best possible health care, for both patient and physician. The way of IM use in the developed countries presents various ways that IM can be provided, and it appears that strategies have been successfully developed to facilitate integration. Although few of the barriers to the integration of CAM and conventional medicine have been resolved, concerns over the legitimacy of CAM in health care (e.g., safety, biomedical evidence, and efficacy) are being overcome by the use of evidence-based practice in IM delivery. There are dominant models of IM that have been developed. The model types signify different levels of equity between CAM and conventional medicine in regard to the power, autonomy, and control held by each. However, the factors common to all IM models, whether describing CAM as supplementary or complementary to conventional medicine, is the concept of a health care model that aspires to be client-centred and holistic, with focus on health rather than disease as well as mutual respect among peer practitioners. Finally, this study concluded that the growth and viability of traditional Korean medicine(TKM) depend on evidence-based practices and identifying the successful influences on the integration of TKM and conventional medicine for recognition of its inherent value in PHC. Some recommendations for the integration of TKM and conventional medicine were suggested.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.5-15
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• 2013

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the self-care education experience, self-care performance, and home care service needs of patients with rare and incurable diseases who use a home ventilator. Methods: From2 ventilator rental companies and 5 hospitals, records of 162 subjects were collected to obtain data regarding self-care education experience (23 items) and home care service needs (25 items). Results: Of the subjects, 65.4% were male and 55.6% had a myotrophic lateral sclerosis. The items with the highest and lowest levels of self-care education experience were "using the ventilator"(94.0%) and "community-available resource information"(27.0%), respectively. Meanwhile, self-care was performed well in terms of "personal hygiene"(59.6%) but not performed well in "community-available resource information"(23.7%). "Health status assessment" had the highest need(88.2%) of home care services. Generally, the need of home care services was higher for the patients using invasive ventilators than that for those using non-invasive ventilators. Conclusion: Home care nurses need to not only provide physical care for the patients but also strengthen their roles of enhancing patient access to and utilization of various community resources to provide systematic and individualized training and care.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.31-58
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• 1995

The Korean government achieved the universal coverage of health insurance in July 1989, and concomitantly introduced a new measure of regulated health care delivery system in using medical care. There are three reasons why the government took the new health care delivery system. Firstly, there was ample room for improving the allocative efficiency in the use of medical facilities. And the second one was to constrain the dramatic increase of medical demand under health insurance. Thirdly, and the most important reason was to alleviate the patient crowdedness in big general hospitals, particularly tertiary hospitals. There are essentially two different ways to control the use of health care : one is to cut the demand for health care, and the other to regulate behaviors of providers through the use of incentives/disincentives, demand-side approach or supply-side approach. The objective of this study is to examine whether or not medical care utilization behaviors under health insurance scheme have been changed among medical facilities such as clinic, hospital, general hospital and tertiary hospital in comparison with those before and after the introduction, particularly whether the patient crowdedness in tertiary hospitals has been alleviated or not. In order to conduct this study, the insurance claim data during the period of January 1989 and July 1992 were analyzed by focusing on diagnosis of both inpatients and outpatients, and especially the fifteen most frequent diseases in ambulatory care and the seven most frequent diseases in hospitalizatio. In addition, the same analyses were made on the changes in medical care utilization by specialty department. This was because the five departments, such as family medicine, ENT, eye, dermatology and rehabilitation, were exempted from applying the regulated health care delivery system in tertiary hospitals. The study revealed that a remarkable alleviation effect in the crowdness was noted for tertiary hospitals. This effect was most conspicuous for the most frequent mild diseases of both inpatient and outpatient care. For example, the fifteen most frequent OPD care at tertiary facilities have decreased as much as by 40%, of which 34% belonged to the cut in initial visits. Meanwhile, the proportion of those who used general hospitals and private practitioner's clinics have increased due to the shift of patients. The cases from the five special departments were also decreased, but not so much as other departments. A problem was noted that, as time passed by, the decreasing tendencies of crowdness at tertiary hospitals due to the regulated system became slightly smaller. Therefore, through complementary remedies are needed for the future implementation.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.253-264
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• 2019

The aim of this review is to present a German system of an outpatient care center under the German Health Insurance Act and home care (integration of medical care, basic care, bathing) under the Long-Term Care Insurance Act. This idea of a German integrated home care system should contribute to the development of a Korean home care model. Prior the introduction of long-term care insurance (1995), and with the of the health insurance law (1989), German outpatient care centers already provided medical and basic care services for patients with acute and chronic symptoms. Since 1995, patients with acute symptoms and rehabilitation periods under the Health Insurance Act have been eligible for home care. The Long-Term Care Insurance Act is intended for all citizens who are unable to carry out their daily activities for more than six months. In 2017, 13,657 (97%) of 14,050 outpatient care centers provided home care services after long-term care and health insurance. In other words, patients in Germany can use home care in both the acute and chronic phase at the same home care center, or 'integrated home-care center'.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.84 no.1
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• pp.46-54
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• 2021

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate inhaler device handling in elderly patients. Inhaler devices with respect to misuse and error correction were also compared. Methods: Inhaler use technique was assessed using standardized checklists at the first visit and 3-month follow-up visit after retraining. The primary outcome was difference in the acceptable use ratio among inhaler devices. Secondary outcomes included differences in error correction, the most common step of misuse, and factors affecting the accuracy of inhaler use. Results: A total of 251 patients (mean age, 76.4 years) were included. The handling of 320 devices was assessed in the study. All patients had been trained before. However, only 24.7% of them used inhalers correctly. Proportions of acceptable use for Evohaler, Respimat, Turbuhaler, Ellipta, and Breezhaler/Handihaler were 38.7%, 50.0%, 61.4%, 60.8%, and 43.2%, respectively (p=0.026). At the second visit, the acceptable use ratio had increased. There were no significant differences among inhaler types (Evohaler, 63.9%; Respimat, 86.1%; Turbuhaler, 74.3%; Ellipta, 64.6%; and Breezhaler/Handihaler, 65.3% [p=0.129]). In multivariate analysis, body mass index, Turbuhaler, and Ellipta showed positive correlations with acceptable use of inhalers, whereas Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Assessment Test score showed a negative correlation. Conclusion: Although new inhalers have been developed, the accuracy of inhaler use remains low. Elderly patients showed more errors when using pressurized metered-dose inhalers than using dry powder inhalers and soft-mist inhalers. However, there were no significant differences in misuse among inhaler devices after individual training. Results of this study suggests that repeat training is more important than inhaler type.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.75-83
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• 2006

Background : Utilization review has been adopted as a vehicle for cost and utilization control of health care services. Its role was further stressed and expanded through the establishment of Health Insurance Review Agency in 2001. This article is to introduce concept, activities, and effect of utilization review based on the experiences of U.S. and to suggest important characteristics for ideal utilization review activities at the national level in Korea. Method : Twenty-five articles related with utilization review were reviewed after being selected through web site search through Med Line and Richis. Result : Utilization review was introduced mainly for health care expenditure control either by insurer, provider or the third parties under the pressure of increasing health care cost. It's activities can be categorized to prospective, concurrent and retrospective review according to the time of service provision. Based on most of studies, utilization review has been effective in controling rising health care cost and utilization. However it's effectiveness assumes a reimbursement structure of managed care like capitation payment. More worse, it is still unknown it's effectiveness on quality of care. Conclusion : Utilization review should be employed to increase the cost effectiveness of medical care by optimizing quality and patient's outcomes while also attempting to reduce the use of resources. So, it should consider outcomes before expenditures, check for both under and over-use, and construct an structure in which consumption is reduced equitably. Aggressive adoption of utilization review in Korean health care setting with fee-for-service reimbursement structure might not be a cost-effective approach before adoption of prospective payment system such as D.R.G. and capitation.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.87-95
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• 2009

1. Objective : Researching the satisfaction on constitutional health care and studying an influential factor on the satisfaction to make use of basic materials for consitutional health care model. 2. Methods : We sent the questionnaire to 102 extended family members who received constitutional health care in oriental medicine institute. Collected 70 data analysis was statistically proceeded by SPSS. 3. Results : The rate of satisfaction on consitutional health care was 87% which was relatively high in comparison with other health care programs. Oriental clinic showed the highest in rate and then oriental hospital and institute were followed. 4. Conclusion This study showed that satisfaction on consitutional health care was high and the health care program was positive in improving health. Developing guide on health care by constitution and building up clinical data on the degree of health improvement influenced by health care program.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.180-188
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was done to evaluate the operating status of community-based home health center for revitalization of the centers. Method: In this study performance data including organization plan and service utilization plan were evaluated according process theory. Target of evaluation was the community-based home health care center. Results: The vulnerable part of the organization was the information system and financial resources. The home health center introduced PDA (Personal Digital Assistants) in 2005, however home health care nurses did not make full use of it. This service received full support from Seoul city and local government and there were no other sources of income. The vulnerable part of service utilization was service expansion and standardization due to vulnerability of organizational aspects. Conclusions: The home health care center provides high quality services to underprivileged people. In the future, these services should be provided with equity for continuous health care for this population.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.123-134
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• 2013

Purpose: The prescription drug list for primary treatment by community health practitioners has been maintained for 30 years without any modification. Thus, this study will suggest an improvement scheme of prescription drug list for primary health care posts through an analysis of drug use in those posts. Methods: A questionnaire survey was implemented with community health practitioners from April to June in 2012. A total of 1,249 copies were analyzed. As for the databases of drug use in the integrated information, a total of 154,229 diagnoses selected in the method of stratified cluster sampling from 39 primary health care posts' data were analyzed. We consulted some experts about the prescription medication list, and referred to the medication information on-line home page for up-to-date drug information. Results: This study ultimately suggests 77 prescription drug items for primary health care posts by eliminating 35 items and replacing 1 item from the original list, and adding 4 items to it. Conclusion: This study will provide basic data for revising the prescription drug list in primary health care posts by periodically reflecting adverse effects in the existing drugs, demographic and environmental changes, and development of new drugs.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7757-7759
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• 2013

Physicians, in order to study the causes of cancer, detect cancer earlier, prevent or determine the effectiveness of treatment, and specify the reasons for the treatment ineffectiveness, need to access accurate, comprehensive, and timely cancer data. The cancer care environment has become more complex because of the need for coordination and communication among health care professionals with different skills in a variety of roles and the existence of large amounts of data with various formats. The goals of health care systems in such a complex environment are correct health data management, providing appropriate information needs of users to enhance the integrity and quality of health care, timely access to accurate information and reducing medical errors. These roles in new systems with use of agents efficiently perform well. Because of the potential capability of agent systems to solve complex and dynamic health problems, health care system, in order to gain full advantage of E- health, steps must be taken to make use of this technology. Multi-agent systems have effective roles in health service quality improvement especially in telemedicine, emergency situations and management of chronic diseases such as cancer. In the design and implementation of agent based systems, planning items such as information confidentiality and privacy, architecture, communication standards, ethical and legal aspects, identification opportunities and barriers should be considered. It should be noted that usage of agent systems only with a technical view is associated with many problems such as lack of user acceptance. The aim of this commentary is to survey applications, opportunities and barriers of this new artificial intelligence tool for cancer care information as an approach to improve cancer care management.