• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.96-101
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• 2018

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the respiratory illness-related hospital visits (out-patient clinics, emergency room, and re-admission) of preterm infants, and compare them according to corrected age and prematurity. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of preterm infants born at <37 weeks of gestation admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Inha University Hospital between January 2012 and June 2015. Infant follow-up appointments in both neonatology and pulmonology out-patient clinics occurred for at least 2 years after NICU discharge. Results: The proportion of infants who visited the hospital due to any respiratory illness was as high as 50% until 12 months of corrected age, and subsequently decreased over time. Hospital admission was significantly higher in early preterm infants (<34 weeks of gestation) compared to late preterm infants (${\geq}34$ and <37 weeks of gestation). The proportion of infants who were re-admitted due to lower respiratory tract illness was significantly higher until 6 months of corrected age compared to the later, and did not differ between early and late preterm infants. Conclusion: The proportion of hospital visits of preterm infants due to respiratory disease was high until 12 months of corrected age. Most notably, the re-admission proportion from lower respiratory tract illness was high under 6 months in both early and late preterm infants. Preterm infants within this age that are visiting the hospital with respiratory symptoms should be carefully observed and followed up.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.13
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• pp.5389-5393
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• 2014

Background: A clinical pathway (CP) can standardize and improve perioperative care for a number of interventions. In hepatic surgery, however, pertinent evidence is very limited. This study was conducted to implement a CP for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergoing hepatectomy, and to evaluate its effects on hospital costs, length of hospital stay (LOHS) and early clinical outcomes. Materials and Methods: Medical records for HCC patients undergoing hepatectomy were retrospectively reviewed before implementation of a CP (the non-CP group) from March 2012 to August 2012. This information was compared with the data collected prospectively from patients after implementation of the CP (the CP group) between September 2012 and April 2013. Hospital costs, LOHS and early clinical outcomes were evaluated and compared between groups. Results: There were no significant differences in terms of patient clinical characteristics between the two groups. For clinical outcome measures, no significant differences were found in postoperative complications, mortality and readmission rate. The hospital costs were significantly reduced from 24,844 RMB in the non-CP group to 19,761 RMB in the CP group (p<0.01). In addition, patients of the CP group also had shorter LOHS compared with the non-CP group (8.3 versus 12.3 days, p<0.001). Conclusions: The CP proved to be an effective approach to minimize hospital costs and LOHS with hepatectomy for HCC without compromising patient care.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.26-31
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• 2006

Object : To evaluate how the therapeutic factors affect post-discharge course of patients with schizophrenia, we analyzed relationship between each therapeutic factor and outcome of inpatients with schizophrenia in Hanyang University Hospital. Methods : This study is a retrospective report. Subjects were schizophrenic inpatients who were discharged from Hanyang University Hospital from January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2004. We obtained demographic and clinical data from review of inpatient and outpatient charts. Results : We analyzed the records of 104 patients with schizophrenia(44 males and 60 females). Patients who had longer first admission days have fewer number of readmission. There were no significant correlation between psychiatric rehabilitation and course of schizophrenia. Courses, such as duration of outpatient department follow-up and number and duration of rehospitalization, did not differ according to the existence of extrapyramidal symptoms or types of antipsychotics prescribed. Conclusion : Among the therapeutic factors, longer duration of the first admission only affected better post-discharge course of patients with schizophrenia.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.227-248
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• 1990

The study was conceived in relation to a concern over the growing gap between the needs of chronic patients and the availability of care from the current health care system in Korea. Patients with agonizing chronic pain, discomfort, despair and disability are left with helplessly unprepared families with little help from the acute care oriented health care system after discharge from hospital. There is a great need for the development of an alternative means of quality care that is economically feasible and culturally adaptible to our society. Thus, the study was designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of home heath care as an alternative to bridge the existing gap between the patients' needs and the current practice of health care. The study specifically purports to test the effects of home care on health expenditure, readmission, job retention, compliance to health care regime, general conditions, complications, and self-care knowledge and practices. The study was guided by the operations research method advocated by the Primary Health Care Operations Research Institute(PRICOR) which constitutes 3 stages of research : namely, problem analysis solution development, and solution validation. The first step in the operations research was field preparation to develop the necessary consensus and cooperation. This was done through the formation of a consulting body at the hospital and a steering committee among the researchers. For the stage of problem analysis, the Annual Report of Seoul National University Hospital and the patients records for last 5 years were reviewed and selective patient interviews were conducted to find out the magnitude of chronic health problems and areas of unmect health care needs to finally decide on the kinds of health problems to study. On the basis of problem analysis, the solution development stage was devoted to home care program development asa solution alternative. Assessment tools, teaching guidelines and care protocols were developed and tested for their validity. The final stage was the stage of experimentation and evaluation. Patients with liver diseases, hemiplegic and diabetic conditions were selected as study samples. Discharge evaluation, follow up home care, measurement and evaluation were carried out according to the protocols of care and measurement plan for each patient for the period of 6 months after discharge. The study was carried out for the period from Jan. 1987 to Dec. 1989. The following are the results of the study presented according to the hypotheses set forth for the study ; 1. Total expenditures for the period of study were not reduced for the experimental group, however, since the cost per hospital visit is about 4 times as great as the cost per home visit, the effect of cost saving by home care will become a reality as home care replaces part of the hospital visits. 2. The effect on the rate of readmission and job retention was found to be statistically nonsignificant though the number of readmission was less among the experimental group receiving home care. 3. The effect on compliance to the health care regime was found to be statistically significant at the 5% level for hepatopathic and diabetic patients. 4. Education on diet, rest and excise, and medication through home care had an effect on improved liver function test scores, prevention of complications and self - care knowledge in hepatopathic patients at a statistically significant level. 5. In hemiplegic patient, home care had an effect on increased grasping power at a significant level. However. there was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the level of compliane, prevention of complications or in self-care practices. 6. In diabetic patients, there was no difference between the experimental and control groups in scores of laboratory tests, appearance of complications, and self-care knowledge or self -care practices. The above findings indicate that a home care program instituted for such short term as 6 months period could not totally demonstrate its effectiveness at a statistically significant level by quantitative analysis however, what was shown in part in this analysis, and in the continuous consultation sought by those who had been in the experimental group, is that home health care has a great potential in retarding or preventing pathological progress, facilitating rehabilitative and productive life, and improving quality of life by adding comfort, confidence and strength to patients and their families. For the further studies of this kind with chronic patients it is recommended that a sample of newly diagnosed patients be followed up for a longer period of time with more frequent observations to demonstrate a more dear- cut picture of the effectiveness of home care.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.135-147
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• 2016

Background: The voluntary diagnosis-related groups (DRG)-based payment system was introduced in 2002 and the government mandated participation in the DRG for all hospitals from July 2013. The main purpose of this study is to examine the independent effect of mandatory participation in DRG on various outcomes of patients. Methods: This study collected 1,809,948 inpatient DRG data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment database which contains medical information for all patients for the period 2007 to 2014 and examined patient outcomes such as length of stay (LOS), total medical cost, spillover, and readmission rate according to hospital size. Results: LOS of patients decreased after DRGs (large hospitals: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78-0.97; small hospitals: aOR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.91-0.92). The total medical cost of patients increased after DRGs (large hospitals: aOR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.14-1.30; small hospitals: aOR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.21-1.23). The results reveals that spillover of patients increased after DRGs (large hospitals: aOR, 1.27; 95% CI, 0.70-2.33; small hospitals: aOR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.16-1.20). Finally, we found that readmission rates of patients decreased significantly after DRGs (large hospitals: aOR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.26-0.29; small hospitals: aOR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.56-0.63). Conclusion: The DRG payment system compared to fee-for-service payment in South Korea may be an alternative medical price policy which can reduce the LOS. However, government need to monitor inappropriate changes such as spillover increase. Since this study also is the results based on relatively simple surgery, insurer needs to compare or review bundled payment like new DRG for expansion of various inpatient-related diseases including internal medicine.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.275-284
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the current state of home health nursing (HHN) for elders and to provide basic data on policy alternatives for establishing home medical care in the advanced general hospital. Methods: This study was conducted as a secondary data analysis, using electronic medical record (EMR) data of older patients who received HHN more than once from the S advanced general hospital between January 2016 and December 2018. Results: A total of 1,790 patients received HHN visits, with 22,477 visits being made. The mean age was 76.8±7.3 years old, 96.0% of elders had health insurance and 24.6% had orthopedics problems. Of the 1,168 people who visited emergency rooms, the most frequent symptom was pain (23.4%) and all patients visited the hospital at least once and at most 163 times outpatient care during HHN. Causative diseases were degenerative knee joint osteoarthritis (0.6%), surgery for right knee replacement (4.0%), and for dressings (9.7%) in the HHN service content analysis. Conclusion: The progress towards an aging society and the introduction of community care are expected to further enhance the need for HHN which should be able to provide comprehensive and continuous visiting health care services to the older patients. The results of this study are expected to help doctors solve problems not solved by HHN, reduce unnecessary emergency room or outpatient visits, and readmission, while at the same time contributing to the improvement of patient quality of life through efficient patient health care.

• Obstetrics & gynecology science
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• v.61 no.6
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• pp.675-683
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• 2018

Objective This study aimed to evaluate patient-reported satisfaction following robot-assisted hysterectomy due to benign uterine disease, and to identify the factors associated. Methods We used a questionnaire to evaluate patients' satisfaction with robot-assisted hysterectomy. The questions concerned overall patient-reported satisfaction and specific factors affecting satisfaction, including postoperative pain, return to daily life, the hospital experience, wounds, cost, the doctor-patient relationship, whether expectations were met, and whether detailed information was provided. We also collected data from patient records, such as uterine weight, rate of pelvic adhesion, operation time, rate of transfusion, delayed discharge, and readmission. One hundred patients who underwent robot-assisted hysterectomy participated in the study. Seventy-three fully completed questionnaires were returned. Results The majority of patients (95.9%) were satisfied with robot-assisted hysterectomy. The doctor-patient relationship, whether expectations were met, the hospital experience, wounds, and whether detailed information was provided were statistically significant factors influencing patients' overall satisfaction. Payment of fees and clinical and surgical outcomes did not significantly influence patients' overall satisfaction. Conclusion Our findings show that most patients reported high levels of satisfaction following robot-assisted hysterectomy, regardless of cost or clinical and surgical outcomes. Therefore, if gynecologists consider robot-assisted hysterectomy suitable for patients they need not hesitate based on potential costs; they should feel confident in recommending the procedure to patients.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.376-386
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• 2001

I. Background The problem of discharging patients from hospital have been well documented in the literature over the last 20 years. They included poor communication between hospital and community, inadequate notice of discharge, over-reliance on informal support and lack of statutory support, inattention to patients needs before leaving hospital, and wasted or duplicated visits by community nurses. Most patients discharged from hospital are able to return home with little or no support, while others will require a 'package of care' to support them back to good health. Patient with complex care needs, including the frail elderly and those with mental health problems, may require continuing care in special housing, residential, or nursing homes. With this population,effective discharge arrangement is needed and the study on this problem is urgent in Korea because the Medical Reform Project is on suspension of success. II. Results of the Study: 1. Discharge service needs assessed on 360 elderly patients who were hospitalized during the survey period at four university hospitals. Patients want to know the information on disease management after discharge. Follow-up telephone service is the most frequently checked service. 2. Multidisciplinary Discharge Planning is recommended at the hospital level to reduce the readmission and decrease the length of stay. 3. Further research is needed to validate and test the assumption of the solution which is developed in this research.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.451-457
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• 2014

Background: The balance of the risks and the benefits of cardiac surgery in the elderly remains a major concern. We evaluated the early and mid-term clinical results of patients aged over 75 years who underwent major cardiovascular surgery. Methods: Two hundred and fifty-one consecutive patients, who underwent cardiac surgery at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital between July 2003 and June 2011, were included in this study (mean age, $78.7{\pm}3.4$ years; male:female=130:121). Elective surgery was performed in 112 patients, urgent in 90, and emergency in 49. Results: Early mortality was 12.7% (32/251). Follow-up completion was 100%, and the mean follow-up duration was $2.8{\pm}2.2$ years. Late mortality was 24.2% (53/219). There were 283 readmissions in a total of 109 patients after discharge. However, the reason for readmission was related more to non-cardiac factors (71.3%) than to cardiac factors. The overall survival estimates were 79.2% at the 1-year follow-up and 58.4% at the 5-year follow-up. Patients who underwent elective surgery had a lower early mortality rate (elective, 4.5%; urgent, 13.3%; emergency, 30.6%) and better overall survival rate than those that underwent urgent or emergency surgery (p<0.001). Conclusion: The timing of cardiac surgery was found to be an independent risk factor for early and late mortality. Thus, earlier referral and intervention may improve operative results. Further, comprehensive coordinated postoperative care is needed for other comorbid problems in aged patients.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.100-108
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• 2021

Purpose: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placements are commonly performed pediatric endoscopic procedures. Because of underlying disease, these patients are at increased risk for airway-related complications. This study compares patient characteristics and complications following initial PEG insertion with general endotracheal anesthesia (GETA) vs. anesthesia-directed deep sedation with a natural airway (ADDS). Methods: All patients 6 months to 18 years undergoing initial PEG insertion within the endoscopy suite were considered for inclusion in this retrospective cohort study. Selection of GETA vs. ADDS was made by the anesthesia attending after discussion with the gastroenterologist. Results: This study included 168 patients (GETA n=38, ADDS n=130). Cohorts had similar characteristics with respect to sex, race, and weight. Compared to ADDS, GETA patients were younger (1.5 years vs. 2.9 years, p=0.04), had higher rates of severe American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) disease severity scores (ASA 4-5) (21% vs. 3%, p<0.001), and higher rates of cardiac comorbidities (39.5% vs. 18.5%, p=0.02). Significant associations were not observed between GETA/ADDS status and airway support, 30-day readmission, fever, or pain medication in unadjusted or adjusted models. GETA patients had significantly increased length of stay (eβ=1.55, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.11-2.18) after adjusting for ASA class, room time, anesthesia time, fever, and cardiac diagnosis. GETA patients also had increased room time (eβ=1.20, 95% CI=1.08-1.33) and anesthesia time (eβ=1.50, 95% CI=1.30-1.74) in adjusted models. Conclusion: Study results indicate that younger and higher risk patients are more likely to undergo GETA. Children selected for GETA experienced longer room times, anesthesia times, and hospital length of stay.