• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.1-22
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• 2023

Purposes: The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze the factors that affect patients reusing non-face-to-face treatments at tertiary general hospitals. Methodology: We retrospectively analyzed a patient's reuse of non-face-to-face treatment from February 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021, at a tertiary general hospital in Seoul within one year of the first non-face-to-face treatment. A frequency analysis was conducted to identify the study subjects' demographic characteristics, treatment type characteristics, disease characteristics, and hospital use type characteristics. Also, across-analysis was conducted to verify the difference in non-face-to-face treatment reuse according to the characteristics a multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors affecting the reuse of non-face-to-face treatment by non-face-to-face treatment patients. Findings: The results of this study can be interpreted as indicating that the following groups are more likely tore use the non-face-to-face treatment: women, children, the elderly, Patients living far from the hospital, psychiatric patients, pediatric patients, medical benefits recipients, chronic patients, patients with mobility difficulties, and patients with high loyalty to hospitals. Practical Implications: When developing a non-face-to-face treatment system in the future, based on the results of this study, it is possible to target patients who prefer non-face-to-face treatment. And this study will be research material for vitalizing non-face-to-face treatment. In addition, the activation of the non-face-to-face treatment system will be an effective means for improving the quality of medical services and generating profits in hospitals in the future.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.47-87
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• 2022

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, non-face-to-face treatment was temporarily permitted. A lot of consensus has been formed on the need to continuous non-face-to-face treatment. However, the current 「Medical Service Act」 only permits telemedicine between doctors and medical personnel. On the other hand, as a result of legal interpretation, there is an opinion that non-face-to-face treatment is allowed. But considering the overall legal system, non-face-to-face treatment is not allowed. Nevertheless, we have to consider the reality such as the development of science and technology and the outbreak of infectious diseases. Therefore, it is not advisable to allow face-to-face treatment only. Ultimately, it is necessary to find ways to ensure that non-foce-to-face treatment can be performed in a safe and effective manner. And it should be institutionalized. This is strategically necessary and important. Therefore, we must look over ahead legal issues to be discussed. First of all, the scope, the target disease and the subject of implement have to be clear. Also, structurally, the standards of facilities and equipment must be prepared for non-face-to-face treatment to be implemented. Functionally, communication and information exchange between doctors and patients should be well conducted. In addition, the information protection management system that occurs in the process of non-face-to-face treatment should be materialized. Lastly, the issue of responsibility and cost of non-face-to-face treatment should be decided in detail. When these problems materialize, it can be expected that a safe non-face-to-face treatment environment will be established.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.1751-1754
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• 2022

The news articles collected with keyword "non face-to-face" were analyzed through topic modeling applied with LDA algorithm. In this study, collected articles were divided into two periods, period 1(the beginning of COVID-19 spread) and period 2(the end of COVID-19 spread), according to issued date of the articles. The articles of period 1 showed support for non-face-to-face treatment, smart library, the beginning of the online financial era, non-face-to-face entrance exam and employment, stock investment for main topic words. And the articles of period 2 showed conversion to non face-to-face classes, increasing unmanned stores, online finance, education industry, home treatment for main topic words. Also, further issues were discussed through visualization of topic words. These results provide evidence that education and unmanned business in non-face-to-face industries are growing.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.50-58
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• 2023

Background: This study was carried out to determine whether non-face-to-face physical therapy would have similar exercise effects to face-to-face physical therapy. Hence, we developed an approach for patients, unable to visit hospitals due to circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic, to conduct physical therapy comfortably at home. Objects: This study aimed to compare the effects of a face-to-face and a non-face-to-face physical therapy treatment on improving a rounded shoulder posture. Methods: The participants with rounded shoulders were randomly divided into a face-toface group (n = 15) and a non-face-to-face group (n = 15), and each group performed exercises for four weeks. The exercise program consisted of the bare hands exercise, Thera-Band exercise, and foam roller exercise. The participants in the face-to-face group came to a designated place to perform their exercises, and those in the non-face-to-face group performed the exercises at their own home using Google Meet (Google). Acromial height, total scapular distance (TSD), shoulder pain and dysfunction index (SPADI), and pectoralis minor thickness were measured. Data analysis was performed using the R Statistical Software (R Core Team), and a normality test was performed using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Results: There were no significant differences between the face-to-face and the non-face-toface groups (p > 0.05). When comparing the differences before and after the exercises, both the face-to-face and the non-face-to-face groups showed significant differences in acromial height, SPADI, and pectoralis minor thickness (p < 0.05), and both groups showed no significant difference in TSD before and after the exercises (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study support the results of previous studies reporting that shoulder stabilization exercise and pectoralis minor stretching training improves round shoulders. In addition, this study revealed that both the face-to-face and the non-face-to-face physical therapy treatments had therapeutic effects.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.65-78
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyze the weight loss and the adverse events of overweight and obese adults on weight loss program with face-to-face treatment (FTF) and non-face-to-face treatment (NFTF) in 6 Korean Medicine obesity clinics. Methods: From March 2nd to March 10th, 2021, we collected data with a retrospective way from overweight and obese adults (body mass index, BMI≥23 kg/m²) who registered for a 12-week Gamitaeeumjowi-tang prescription program. After matching initial information of the FTF group and the NFTF group using propensity matching score, weight loss and BMI change were analyzed, and adverse events were evaluated in terms of causality, severity and system-organ classes. Results: Weight and BMI change from baseline to 12 weeks was -7.98±3.09kg (10.41±3.57%), -3.03±1.14kg/m² and -7.30±3.11kg (9.59±3.45%), -2.76±1.15kg/m² for FTF group and NFTF group, respectively. Body weight and BMI significantly decreased before and after treatment in both groups, and there was no significant difference in weight loss and BMI change between the two groups. No serious adverse events were reported. Conclusions: This study showed the potential that NFTF weight management treatment could be a good alternative way to FTF weight management treatment without serious adverse events.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.225-235
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• 2021

Purpose: Since coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread around the world, non-face-to-face services have emerged as the new normal. The functioning of children with developmental disabilities and cerebral palsy improves when parents, therapists, and institutions cooperate. We aimed to investigate the difficult environment of pediatric physical therapy caused by COVID-19, and grasp parents' perceptions of home exercise programs. We intend to design home exercise programs for pediatric treatment in the future and create a non-face-to-face pediatric rehabilitation service system based on our findings. Methods: The first survey was conducted on 30 parents who had children with cerebral palsy and developmental disabilities. It was produced after consultation with relevant experts and discussion with the research team, based on a survey conducted in a previous study. The second survey was produced by revising and supplementing the opinions of parents who completed the first survey and consulting experts. Thereafter, an online survey was conducted on 118 parents who had children with cerebral palsy and developmental disabilities. Results: 61.01 % of the parents reported that they were anxious or afraid for their children to be treated for infectious diseases. 83.90 % of the parents reported that the role of parents had increased. 50.00 % of the parents complained of a lack of skill. 85.59 % of the parents reported that they needed a home exercise program provided by the organization. As a non-face-to-face exercise management method, 35.59 % of the parents wanted a real-time video recording electronically mailed to them, and 34.75 % wanted real-time education using video conferencing programs such as zoom. Conclusion: The threat of COVID-19 has further emphasized the importance of social cooperation and management, leading organizations to enter a new era of non-face-to-face rehabilitation services. It is necessary to collect and systematize related studies to reflect more diverse opinions and improve the perceptions of therapists and parents.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.143-148
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• 2019

Although surgery is the mainstay of local treatment for skin cancer, definitive radiation therapy (RT) has been also applied for patients who are unable to tolerate surgery. Definitive RT regimens usually consist of daily treatment for 4-7 weeks. Such protracted daily RT regimens, however, would not be feasible for non-compliant patients or patients who are unable to make multiple daily trips for weeks. Without treatment, however, skin cancers can continuously progress and cause distressing symptoms. A cyclical hypofractionated RT (QUAD Shot: 14 Gy in 4 fractions, twice-daily treatments with 6 hours interval on 2 consecutive days) can be a practical RT regimen for those patients. In this report, we present the successful treatment course of repeated QUAD Shots in a 79-year-old patient with neglected skin cancer that was disfiguring his face yet declined definitive surgery and protracted RT. We also evaluated and compared biologically equivalent doses between QUAD Shots and conventionally fractionated protracted RT regimens.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.3-33
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• 2020

Telemedicine can be defined as "medical activities performed remotely by medical personnel using information and communication technology." So far, many scholars in Korea have understood that only telemedicine between medical personnel is allowed and telemedicine between medical personnel and patients is prohibited based on Article 34 of Medical Service Act. However, Article 34 is only a restriction on the performing place of medical profession, not a prohibition on telemedicine itself. And, there are no regulations prohibiting telemedicine under the korean medical law. So, it is difficult to say that telemedicine is generally prohibited under the korean medical law, apart from the health insurance medical treatment benefit standards. However, there is controversy in interpretation regarding the meaning of "direct diagnosis" in Articles 17 and 17-2 of Medical Service Act. The Constitutional Court of Korea interpreted this as "face-to-face diagnosis", while the Supreme Court of Korea interpreted it as "self diagnosis". In light of the dictionary meaning of 'direct' and the interpretation of related medical law regulations, I think the Supreme Court's interpretation is valid. Although "direct diagnosis" does not mean "face-to-face diagnosis", the concept of "diagnosis" implies "principle of face-to-face diagnosis". In addition, "non-face-to-face diagnosis" are only allowed to supplement "face-to-face diagnosis", so the problems caused by "non-face-to-face diagnosis" can be fully overcome. In the end, the limit of telemedicine is how faithful the diagnosis was.

• Medical Lasers
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.35-38
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• 2019

Thread-lifting is a minimally invasive procedure that shows good results and fewer complications as compared with those results and complications of standard surgery. Many procedures and techniques have been developed to create a younger appearance of facial/neck skin for aging people, and the demand for an improved aesthetic appearance is increasing. Since the incidence of side effects is much less than that of non-absorbable threads, which can lead to complications such as foreign body reactions, polydioxanone (PDO) threads are predominantly used for face lift procedures. A 66-year-old woman presented to our clinic with inflamed palpable masses. She had undergone a face lift with absorbable threads in our clinic 5 months previously. Excisional biopsy was performed with the patient under local anesthesia. During the operation, any threads were not detected and there was both fibrotic scar tissue and granulomatous tissue. For effectively promoting healing and managing the scars, treatment with LDM^®-MED was performed on the day after surgery. The treatment was performed according to the author's protocol. Although foreign body granuloma as a complication after using non-absorbable thread types have been previously reported, it is relatively rare to find this type of complication after using absorbable thread. In this report, we present a case in which a 66-year-old female with foreign body granuloma after undergoing a face lift using absorbable threads was treated with the application of dual-frequency ultrasound, which promoted wound healing.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.140-146
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• 2004

Objectives : this study is to see if there is a significance in thermal differences of acupoints in diagnosis and treatment period of facial paralysis and to substantiate the validity of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for it. Methods : 1. By using DITI, thermal differences of acupoints on the face and the upper limbs of 13 Bell's palsy patients were measured around 3 days after an attack of the disease. These 13 patients, whose treatment progress was monitored up to 6 months after attack, were among the inpatients and outpatients of oriental internal medicine of National Medical Center from July 1 to August 31. 2. The patients were divided into 1month, 2-3months, 4months, 6months groups according to the occasion of improvement and thermal averages of each treatment period measured. Results : When it takes within 1 month for the condition of facial paralysis to change for the better, DITI image shows the temperature of the affected face parts and arms is higher than that of the non-affected parts. However, when it takes more than 4 months, the temperature of the affected face parts and arms on DITI image is lower than that of the non-affected parts. Conclusions : Hereby, prognosis of the disease and necessary time for the treatment can be presumed through DITI screening after an occurrence of facial paralysis. Also, condition of the disease is reflected by thermal differences of acupoints for Bell's palsy treatment that are in accordance with the theory of meridian on the face. This supports the efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for this disease.