• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.204-209
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to construct database for a drug safety information website to serve as an access point of up-to-date resources for a wide variety of drug-safety information helping patients and healthcare professionals make well-informed decisions about medication use. All the contents developed were confirmed by the council of advisors who were the experts in drug safety. The detailed contents of database on frequently prescribed drug including 9 NSAIDs, 19 antibiotics, 24 cardiovascular, 21 metabolic, 14 respiratory, 20 digestive, 22 hormonal, 10 genitourinary, 10 anti-allergic, 27 antifungal/antiviral, and 71 neuropsychiatric agents were developed based on the approved drug labeling of the Korean FDA. A separately searchable database of drug-specific safety information for patients and health professionals was constructed for users in need of different depth of knowledge on using medications safely. The safety information on highly prevalent chronic diseases and drug classes was also developed. Finally the most recent global drug safety news was provided. The consumer directed information was developed in layman's terms as means of proving user-friendly information. The creation of this type of website is part of the Korean FDA's ongoing initiative to address and promote the safe use of medications for the public.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.15
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• pp.6095-6098
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• 2014

Background:Cervical cancer is potentially the most preventable and treatable cancer. Despite the known efficacy of cervical screening, a significant number of women do not avail themselves of the procedure due to lack of awareness. Objectives: This study was conducted to elicit information on the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) regarding screening (Pap test) and vaccination for carcinoma cervix among female doctors and nurses in a tertiary care hospital in Bangalore and to assess barriers to acceptance of the Pap test. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted with semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire among female health professionals. The study subjects were interviewed for KAP regarding risk factors for cancer cervix, Pap test and HPV vaccination for protection against carcinoma cervix. Results: Higher proportion of doctors 45 (78.9%) had very good knowledge as compared to only 13 (13.3%) of the nurses, about risk factors for cancer cervix and Pap test (p=0.001). As many as 138(89.6%) of the study subjects had favorable attitude towards Pap test and vaccination, but 114 (73.6%) of the study subjects never had a Pap test and the most common reason 35 (31%) for not practicing was absence of disease symptoms. Conclusions: In spite of good knowledge and attitudes towards cancer cervix and Pap test being good, practice remained low among the study subjects and most common reasons for not undergoing Pap test was absence of disease symptoms. The independent predictors of ever having a Pap test done was found to be the occupation and duration of married life above 9yrs. Hence there is a strong need to improve uptake of Pap test by health professionals by demystifying the barriers.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.256-269
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• 2020

Objectives: Everyone has been affected in some way by the COVID-19 pandemic, while some workers face threats to their health due to their jobs as well as worries about spreading the virus to intimate family members. With these concerns in mind, this study aims to identify occupations more vulnerable to COVID-19 and suggests the necessity of providing proper control measures against the risks in a timely manner in Korea. Methods: Daily briefing reports by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) were compiled (n=120) between January 20 and May 31, 2020. A total of 11,486 confirmed cases were included, which were sorted by occasion, area, and occupation. Among them, 2,411 cases were classified with specific occasions and/or areas of infection, while only 544 cases were determined with identifiable occupations. Guidelines for biological hazard management and COVID-19 guidelines for workplaces from domestic and international bodies were enlisted and compared. Results: It is unsurprising to find that healthcare professionals are experiencing the most immediate threat from COVID-19. In addition, service workers with face-to-face practices or indirect contact are also facing high risks. Religion facilities and eating places (dining, drinking bar, café, etc.,) follow. Guidelines and manuals for biological hazards are still lacking in Korea compared to the US and EU. Workplace manuals for managing COVID-19 are neither as comprehensive as the approaches of NIOSH's hierarchy of controls nor inclusive enough for minimizing secondary or tertiary suffering. Conclusions: The COVID-19 crisis is still ongoing and there is no doubt there will be more such events in the future. This analysis suggests that occupational health professionals, amid a pandemic including COVID-19, are urged to anticipate emerging risks related to all sorts of occupations, identify vulnerable workers and working environments, and plan and take actions to protect workers' health.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.76-86
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• 2012

Purpose: As Korea has been rapidly transformed to be a multicultural society, it becomes essential for nurses to develop cultural competency. The purpose of this descriptive study was to assess the cultural competency level of general hospital nurses and to examine its contributing factors adopting ecological model. Method: A convenience sample of 327 nurses from six general hospitals in Seoul metropolitan area was recruited between November 14 to 28, 2011. Cultural competency was measured using the Korean version of the Caffrey Cultural Competence in Healthcare Scale (CCCHS) and Cultural Competence Assessment(CCA). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to assess the influence of intrapersonal, cultural-experience, and organizational factors on cultural competency. Results: Mean cultural competency in this study was 2.57(${\pm}0.43$). Cultural competency was associated with job position (p=.044) at the intrapersonal level. At the cultural experience level, foreign language classes experience (p=.005), fluency in a foreign language (p=.000), experience of working with foreign health care professionals (p=.000) were associated cultural competency. At the organizational level, training program (p=.000), job description (p=.002), health education materials (p=.016), insufficient job control (p=.000), and interpersonal conflicts (p=.011) showed significant difference. Foreign language class experience, foreign language fluency, experience of working with foreign health care professionals, and job control were the most consistent predictors of cultural competence and explained 20.4% of the total variance in the proposed ecological model. Conclusions: The findings suggest that to enhance cultural competency in general hospital nurses, cultural experience and organizational factors need to be more fully considered than intrapersonal factors.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.15-25
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• 2019

The development of reliable and objective definitions as well as automated processes for the detection of health care-associated infections (HAIs) is crucial; however, transformation to an automated surveillance system remains a challenge. Early outbreak identification usually requires clinicians who can recognize abnormal events as well as ongoing disease surveillance to determine the baseline rate of cases. The system screens the laboratory information system (LIS) data daily to detect candidates for health care-associated bloodstream infection (HABSI) according to well-defined detection rules. The system detects and reserves professional autonomy by requiring further confirmation. In addition, web-based HABSI surveillance and classification systems use discrete data elements obtained from the LIS, and the LIS-provided data correlates strongly with the conventional infection-control personnel surveillance system. The system was timely, acceptable, useful, and sensitive according to the prevention guidelines. The surveillance system is useful because it can help health care professionals better understand when and where the transmission of a wide range of potential pathogens may be occurring in a hospital. A national plan is needed to strengthen the main structures in HAI prevention, Healthcare Associated Prevention and Control Committee (HAIPCC), sterilization service (SS), microbiology laboratories, and hand hygiene resources, considering their impact on HAI prevention.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.164-171
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• 2014

Background: Safety of drugs has become a major issue in public healthcare. Spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reaction (ADR) is the cornerstone in management of drug safety. We aimed to investigate the awareness and knowledge of spontaneous ADR reporting in general public of Korea. Methods: A total of 1,500 study subjects aged 19-69 years were interviewed with a questionnaire for their awareness and knowledge related to spontaneous ADR reporting. Computer assisted telephone interview was performed from 27th February 2013 to 4th March 2013. Target population was selected with quota sampling, using age, sex, and residence area. Healthcare professionals such as physicians, pharmacists, and nurses were excluded. The survey questions included awareness of spontaneous ADR reporting, opinions on ways to activate ADR reporting, and sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Overall awareness of spontaneous ADR reporting system was 8.3% (${\pm}2.53%$) among general population of Korea. Major source from which people got the information regarding ADR reporting was television/radio (69.9%), followed by internet (19.3%), and poster/brochure (6.1%). Awareness level differed between age groups (p<0.0001) and education levels (p<0.0001). Upon learning about the ADR reporting system, 88.5% of study subjects agreed on the necessity of ADR reporting system, while 46.6% thought promotion through internet and mass media as an effective way to activate ADR reporting. Conclusion: The overall awareness of spontaneous ADR reporting should be enhanced in order to establish a firm national system for drug safety. Adequate promotions should be performed targeting lower awareness groups, as well as various publicity activities via effective channels for the general population.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5506-5511
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• 2012

u-Wellness is widely applicable to individuals and medical service providers such as hospitals and it includes u-fitness and video health counselling services at the side of the provider and stress management, obesity management, and the amount of exercise at the side of the individual. In this paper, we design and implement a smart health care system which uses the authentication device to identify an individual and the user's smart phone. Our system records and manages the amount of exercise on the basis of the prescription of health care professionals through the exercise equipment and Wi-Fi communication. Therefore, our system helps user do optimized amount of exercise through the health care professional's prescription. And our system quantifies the results of the measurement of body fat measuring machines and experts to build the database and automatically schedule.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.386-397
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• 2008

This study proposes the actualization of a standard data model for activities through the development of clinical document architecture for medication administration using the health level 7 development frameworks(HDF) process based on object oriented analysis and development method of health level 7 V 3. Medication administration is the most common activity performed by clinical professionals at healthcare settings. A standardized information model and structured hospital information system are necessary to achieve evidence-based clinical activities. We had used HDF and various tools(Rose tree, RMIM designer, V3 generator) to create the clinical document architecture(CDA). This allowed us to illustrate each step of the HDF in the administration of medication. This study generated a information model of the medication administration process, which is one clinical activity. It should become a fundamental conceptual model for understanding international standard methodology by information technology(IT) developers with the objective of modeling healthcare information systems.

• CELLMED
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.23.1-23.6
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• 2015

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practice is still popular among the Malaysian population nowadays although western or allopathic medicine is the first line of treatment. Dissatisfaction with health services and therapeutic effects of western medicine or preference for holistic, integrative approach in treatment are common reasons favouring the increasing popularity of CAM practices. The efforts toward integration of CAM and western medicine in Malaysia were rather slow and in a piece-meal fashion. Strategic efforts in strengthening government and self-regulation among practitioners, formalizing education, promoting research, and cultivating national and international networks are necessary to achieve an integrative system. Regulations to restrict the practice and sale of CAM products to licensed practitioners, strict and mandatory registration of the practitioners, inclusion of CAM in essential medicines list, and pricing regulations must be comprehensively discussed. Development of curriculum, offers of scholarship and incentives, promotion of courses and seminars for professionals is necessary to increase the numbers of CAM experts. Malaysia should follow the efforts of other countries on the production and documentation of local CAM data, allocation of funding, and establishment of research centres to assess the efficacy of potentially useful local products. Local and international collaboration in research and continuous education is important for exchange of knowledge and skills. In conclusion more coordinated efforts in regulation of CAM practice and products, formalizing CAM training and education would significantly move the process forward and allow the public to enjoy more health benefits from CAM practice in Malaysia.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2453-2458
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• 2012

Background: The healthcare needs of cancer patients are complex and persons involved in their caregiving process are faced with many issues that need to be addressed. The entire family and particularly the person taking on responsibility for patient care develop expectations from healthcare professionals, especially nurses. Objective: The study was conducted to evaluate the impact of a home education program provided to caregivers of cancer patients on the level of their perceived social support and problems in caregiving. Interventions/Methods: The caregivers of thirty seven cancer patients of 2,400 registered people in a family center were given an educational program in this descriptive and cross-sectional study twice a week for a month during the period of March 2011 - April 2011. Results: Of all caregivers, 56.8% were between the ages 36-40, 94.5% were female, 91.9% had received no education on caregiving, 81.0% stated that they mostly felt physically and mentally inadequate in their caregiving. Perceived Social Support from the family indicated a significant difference at $8.05{\pm}4.38$ before and $11.7{\pm}4.97$ after the education. A comparison of the mean scores of caregivers on emotional issues before and after the education revealed the following: spiritual distress scores were $2.54{\pm}0.69$ before and $2.44{\pm}0.43$ after the education; hopelessness scores, $2.24{\pm}0.59$ before and $2.23{\pm}0.38$ after the education; ineffective individual coping was $3.89{\pm}1.42$ before and $2.45{\pm}0.59$ after the education; competing needs in decision-making were $3.54{\pm}0.69$ before and $2.10{\pm}1.24$ after the education; depressive feeling were $3.01{\pm}1.53$ before and $2.02{\pm}0.99$ after the education (p<0.05). Conclusions: Positive effects of home education on levels of perceived social support and caregiving problems of caregivers of cancer patients were observed. Home educational programs for caregivers of cancer patients are important for both better understanding of the requirements of their patients and themselves.