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The Effects of Herb Extracts in Cerebrovascular Accidental Patient (뇌졸중 치료제인 한약의 효과)

  • Lee, Mi-Hwa;Park, Hyoung-Sook;Choi, Won-Chul
    • The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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    • v.3 no.2
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    • pp.141-153
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    • 2000
  • The several Chinese herbs such as Soon-Ki-Hwal-Hyul-Tang, Bo-Yang-Hwan-O-Tang, Seong-Hyang-Jeong-Ki-San, So-Hap-Hyang-Won and O-Yak-Soon-Ki-San were extracted with water and then lyophilized. For identification of the effect of extracted herbs, they were medicated to 103 patients of cerebrovascular accident for 4 week. They were hospitalized in D-Oriental Medical Hospital from April to August in 1999. The herbs were extracted with water and lyophilized and then, used as samples. The medical history of each patient was detected and analyzed from their medical records. The results were as follows; 1) Each sample (Soon-Ki-Hwal-Hyul-Tang, Bo-Yang-Hwan-O-Tang, Seong-Hyang-Jeong-Ki-San, and O-Yak-Soon-Ki-San) was statistically significant differences of systolic blood pressure(t=4.22, P=0.0004; t=3.44, P=0.0028; t=2.11, P=0.0463; t=3.23, P=0.0052). The statistically significant difference of diastolic blood pressure showed by medicated with Soon-Ki-Hwal-Hyal-Tang, Seong-Hyang-Jeong-Ki-San, and O-Yak-Soon-ki-San (t=2.13, P=0.0459; t=2.68, P=0.0136; t=3.12, P=0.0066). 2) The statistically significant difference of the arm/leg-ROM showed by medicated with Soon-Ki-Hwal-Hyul-Tang, Bo-Yang-Hwan-O Tang, So-Hap-Hyang-Won(t=4.74/4.95, P=0.0002/0.0001; t=2.25/2.44, P=0.0368/0.0248; t=5.85/6.76, P=0.0001/0.0001). 3) In the verbal disorder, Soon-Ki-Hwal-Hyul-Tang, Bo-Yang-Hwan-O-Tang had statistically significant differences(t=4.50, P=0.0002; t=3.32, P=0.0036). 4) In the conscious disorder, Soon-Ki-Hwal-Hyul-Tang, Bo-Yang-Hwan-O-Tang, Seong-Hyang-Jeong-Ki-San, and So-Hap-Hyang-Won had statistically significant differences(t=6.32, P =0.0001; t=8.32, P=0.0001; t=3.74, P=0.0012; t=5.14, P=0.0001). 5) Bovine aortic endothelial cell (BAEC) were cultured in DMEM treating 0.01mg/ml, and 0.1mg/ml of each lyophilized samples for 24 hours. In BAECs were treated by 5 kinds of samples, the effect of So-Hyap-Hyang-Won induced syncytium of adjacent endothelial cells. It may induce the recovering of the damaged blood vessels in cerebrovascular accidental patient by angiogensis of endothelial cells. Therefore, it suggests that the medication of So-Hap-Hyang-Won will help to nursing care for cerebrovascular accidental patients.

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Analyses on the Mean Length of Stay of and the Income Effects due to Early Discharge of Car Accident Patients at General Hospital (3차 병원에 입원한 교통사고환자의 평균 재원기간과 조기퇴원시의 수입증대효과 분석연구)

  • Ryu, Ho-Sihn
    • Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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    • v.10 no.1
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    • pp.70-79
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    • 1999
  • This study attempts to encourage the development of a rehabilitation delivery system as a substitute service for hospitalization such as a community based intermediate facility or home health care. We need substitute services for hospitalization to curtail the length of stay for inpatients due to car accidents. It focused on developing an estimation for early discharge based on a detailed statement of treatment from medical records of 109 inpatients who were hospitalized at General Hospital in 1997. This study has three specific purposes: First, to find the mean length of stay and mean medical expenditure. Second, to estimate the mean of early discharge from the mean length of stay. Third, to analyize the income effect per bed from early discharge. In order to analyze the length of stay and medical expenditure of inpatients the author conducted a micro and macro-analysis with medical expenditure records. To estimate the early discharge we examined with a group of 4 experts decreases in the amount of treatment after surgery, in treatments, in tests, in drug methods. We also looked their vital signs, the start of ROM exercise, the time removel, a patient's visitations, and possible stable conditions. In addition to identifing the income effect due to an early discharge, the data was analyzed by an SPSS-PC for windows and Excell program with a regression analysis model. The research findings are as follows: First, the mean length of stay was 47.56 days, but the mean length of stay due to early discharge was 32.26 days. The estimation of early discharge days was shown to depend on the length of stay. The longer the length of stay, the longer the length before discharge. For example, if the patient stayed under 14 days the mean length of stay was 7.09 while an early discharge was 6.39, whereas if the mean length of stay was 155.73, the early discharge time was 107.43. The mean medical expenditure per day of car accident patients was found to be 169,085 Won, whereas the mean medical expenditure per day was shown to be in a negative linear form according to the length of stay. That is the mean expenditure for under 14 days of stay was 303,015 Won and the period of the hospitalization of 15 days to 29 days was 170,338 Won and those of 30 days to 59 days was 113,333 Won. The estimation of the income effect due to being discharged 16 days was around 2,350,000 Won with a regression analysis model. However, this does not show the real benefits from an early discharge, but only the income increasing amount without considering prime medical cost at a general hospital. Therefore, we need further analysis on cost containments and benefits incending turn over rates and medical prime costs. From these research findings, the following suggestions have been drawn, we need to develop strategies on a rehabilitation delivery system focused on consumers for the 21st century. Varions intermediate facilities and home health care should be developed in the community as a substitute for shortening the length of stay in hospitals. In home health care cases, patients who want rehabilitation services as a substitute for hospitalization in cooperation with private health insurance companies might be available immediately.

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The Study on the Medical and Nursing Service Needs of the Terminal Cancer Patients and Their Caregivers (말기암 환자와 가족의 의료 및 간호 서비스 요구)

  • 이소우;이은옥;허대석;노국희;김현숙;김선례;김성자;김정희;이경옥
    • Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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    • v.28 no.4
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    • pp.958-969
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    • 1998
  • In this study, we attempted to investigate the needs and problems of the terminal cancer patients and their family caregivers to provide them with nursing information to improve their quality of life and prepare for a peaceful death. Data was collected from August 1, 1995 to July 31, 1996 at the internal medicine unit of S hospital in Seoul area with the two groups of participants who were family members of terminal cancer patients seventy four of them were in-patients and 34 were out-patients who were discharged from the same hospital for home care. The research tool used in this study has been developed by selecting the questionnaires from various references, modifying them for our purpose and refining them based on the results of preliminary study. While general background information about the patients was obtained by reviewing their medical records, all other information was collected by interviewing the primary family caregivers of the patients using the questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed with the SPSS PC/sup +/ program. The results of this study are summarized as follows ; 1) Most frequently complained symptoms of the terminal cancer patients were in the order of pain(87%), weakness(86.1%), anorexia(83.3%) and fatigue (80.6%). 2) Main therapies for the terminal cancer patients were pain control (58.3%), hyperalimentation(47.2%) and antibiotics(21.3%). 3) Special medical devices that terminal cancer patients used most were oxygen device (11.1%), and feeding tube(5.6%). Other devices were used by less than 5% of the patients. 4) The mobility of 70.4% of the patients was worse than ECOG 3 level, they had to stay in bed more than 50% of a day. 5) Patients wanted their medical staffs to help relieve pain(45.4%), various physical symptoms(29.6%), and problems associated with their emotion(11.1%). 6) 16.7% of the family caregivers hoped for full recovery of the patients, refusing to admit the status of the patients. Also, 37% wished for the extension of the patient's life at least for 6 months. 7) Only 38.9% of the family members was preparing for the patient's funeral. 8) 45.4% of family caregivers prefer hospital as the place for the patient's death, 39.8% their own home, and 14.8% undetermined. 9) Caregivers of the patients were mostly close family members, i.e., spouse(62%), and sons and daughters or daughter-in-laws(21.3%). 10) 43.5% of the family caregivers were aware of hospice care. 46.8% of them learned about the hospice care from the mass media, 27.7% from health professionals, and the rest from books and other sources. 11) Caregivers were asked about the most difficult problems they encounter in home care, 41 of them pointed out the lack of health professionals they can contact, counsel and get help from in case of emergency, 17 identified the difficulty of finding appropriate transportation to hospital, and 13 stated the difficulty of admission in hospital as needed. 12) 93.6% of family caregivers demanded 24-hour hot line, 80% the visiting nurses and doctors, and 69.4% the volunteer's help. The above results indicate that terminal patients and their family caregivers demand help from qualified health professionals whenever necessary. Hospice care system led by well-trained medical and nursing staffs is one of the viable answers for such demands.

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Prediction Model of Exercise Behaviors in Patients with Arthritis (by Pender's revised Health Promotion Model) (관절염 환자의 운동행위 예측모형 (Pender의 재개정된 건강증진 모형에 의한))

  • Lim, Nan-Young;Suh, Gil-Hee
    • Journal of muscle and joint health
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    • v.8 no.1
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    • pp.122-140
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    • 2001
  • The aims of this study were to understand and to predict the determinent factors affecting the exercise behaviors and physical fitness by testing the Pender's revised health promotion model, and to help the patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis perform the continous exercise program, and to help them maximize the physical effect such as muscle strength, endurance, and functional status and mental effects including self efficacy and quality of life, and improve the physical and mental well being, and to provide a basis for the nursing intervention strategies. Of the selected variables in this study, the endogenous variables included the physical fitness, exercise score, exercise participation, perceived benefits of action, perceived barriers of action to exercise, activity-related affect(depression) and perceived self-efficacy, interpersonal influences(family support), situational factors(duration of arthritis, fatigue) and the exogenous variables included personal sociocultural factor(education level), personal biologic factor(body mass index), personal psychologic factor(perceived health status) and prior related behavior factors(previous participation in exercise, life-style). We analyzed the clinical records of 208 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and degenerative arthritis who visited the outpatient clinics at H university hospital in Seoul. Data were composed of self reported qustionnaire and good of fitness score which were obtained by padalling the ergometer of bicycle for 9 minutes. SPSS Win 8.0 and Window LISREL 8.12a were used for statistical analysis. Of 75 hypothetical paths that influence on physical fitness, exercise participation, exercise score, perceived benefits of action, perceived barriers of action to exercise, activity-related affect(depression) and perceived self-efficacy, interpersonal influences(family support), situational factors(duration of arthritis, fatigue), 40 were supported. The physical fitness was directly influenced by life-style, perceived health status, education level, family support, fatigue, which explained 12% of physical fitness. The exercise participation were directly influenced by life-style, education level, past exercise behavior, perceived benefits of action, perceived barriers of action, depression and duration of arthritis, which explained 47% of exercise participation. Exercise score were directly affected by perceived self efficacy. BMI, life-style, past exercise behavior, perceived benefits of action, family support, perceived health status. perceived barriers of action, and fatigue, which explained 70%. Perceived benefits of action was directly influenced by BMI, life-style, which explained 39%. Perceived barriers of action were directly influeced by past exercise behavior, perceived health status, which explained 7%. Perceived self efficacy were directly influeced by level of education, perceived health status, life-style, which explained 57%. Depression were directly influeced by past exercise behavior, BMI, life-style, which explained 27%. Family support were directly influeced by life-style, perceived health status, which explained 29%. Fatigue were directly influeced by BMI, life-style, perceived health status. which explained 41%. Duration of arthritis were directly influeced by life-style, past exercise behavior, BMI, which explained 6%. In conclusion, important variables for physical fitness were life-style, and variable affecting exercise participation were life-style. Perceived self-efficacy of exercise was a significant predictor of exercise score. BMI, Life-style, perceived benefits of action, family support, past exercise behavior showed direct effects on perceived self-efficacy. Therefore, disease related factor should be minimized for physical performance and well being in nursing intervention for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and plans to promote and continue exercise should be seeked to reduce disability. In addition, Exercise program should be planned and performed by the exact evaluation of exercise according to the ability of the patients and the contents to improve the importance of exercise and self efficacy in self control program, dedicated educational program should be involved. This study suggest that the methods to reduce the disease related factors, the importance of daily life-style, recognition of benefit of exercise, and educational program to promote self efficacy should be considered in the exercise behavior promotion and nursing intervention for continous performance. The significance of this study is also thought to provide patients with chronic arthritis the specific data for maximal physical and mental well being through exercise, chronic therapeutic procedure, daily adaptation and confrontation in nursing intervention.

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Retrospective Cohort Study on the Administration of Sedative for Delirium in Terminally Ill Cancer Patients and Survival Time (말기암환자의 섬망으로 인한 진정제 투약과 생존기간에 관한 후향적 코호트 연구)

  • Park, Hyoung Sook;Kim, Dae Sook;Bae, Eun Hee;Kim, Jung Rim;Seo, Jung Hwa;Yun, Jung Mi
    • Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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    • v.19 no.2
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    • pp.119-126
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    • 2016
  • Purpose: This study analyzed the difference in survival time of patients with delirium according to sedative medication. Methods: From January 2012 through December 2013, a retrospective cohort study was performed using the electronic medical records (EMR) of Pusan National University Hospital. Among 900 patients who died from cancer, we selected 240 who suffered delirium based on the EMR. The Nu-DESC delirium screening test was used to diagnose delirium. Results: The median length of delirium period was five days. Delirium characteristics were dominated by inappropriate behaviors (35.0%). Sedatives were administered in 72.1% of the cases. The most frequently used sedative was haloperidol which was used in 59.6% of cases. The delirium period significantly differed by patients' age (F=3.96, P=0.021), cancer type (F=3.31, P=0.010), chemotherapy (t=-3.44 P=0.001). The average survival time was 16.85 days for the sedative medication group and 9.37 days for the non-medication group, which, however, was not significant (t=1.766, P=0.079). Conclusion: In this study, the use of sedatives did not affect patients' survival time. Thus, appropriate sedative medication can be positively recommended to comfort terminal cancer patients and their families.

결장루형성술 환자 간호를 위한 일 연구

  • 모경빈
    • Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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    • v.1 no.1
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    • pp.27-43
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    • 1970
  • This study is designed to find out proper nursing activities for the needs of the colostomy patients, i.e., mental and psychological as well as physical needs for rapid recovery, and to help them build up the follow-up care for proper social adjustment. The study is based on 268 cases out of 381 colostomy patient's records kept in Ewha Womans University Hospital, Yonsei Medical Center, and National Medical Center in between the period from Jan. 1953 to Jan. 1970. The items of study are mainly on etiology, sex, age, duration of hospitalization, mortality rate, seasonal frequency, time from the onset of illness to the admission of the hospital, signs and symptoms. 1. Frequency of onset by etiology: Neoplastic disease 112 cases (42%), Inflammatory disease 33 cases (12%), Congenital malformation 30 cases (11%), Intussusception 25 cases (9.3%), Trauma 24 cases (9%), Volvulus 17 cases (6.3%), and Crohn's disease 6 cases (2.2%). 2. By sex: male 167 cases (62.9%), and female 101 cases (37.1%). So the ratio of portion of male and female 2:1. 3. By age: under 1·year·old 27 cases (10.1%) highest, 41-50 yrs 54 cases (20.2%), 51-60 yrs 42 cases (15.5%), above 71 yrs 5 cases (1.9%). 4. Duration of hospitalization: the shortest is 2-days and the longest is 470 days. 1-20-days 52%, 40-60 days 14%. 5. Mortality rate: Under the 10-days-admission 19.5%, and the beyond 30-days-admission 3.9%. 6. Seasonal frequency: Higher in summer (32% ). 7. Signs and symptoms: abdominal pain (56%), abdominal distention (54%), vomiting (40%), bloody mucoid diarrhea (38%) , pain of anal region (18%), abdominal tenderness, anorexia, indigestion, constipation, disuria, tenesmus, high fever and chilling sensation, bile tingled vomiting. Nursing activities for the patient's physical needs are as follows: Skin care for colostomy region, Prevention of colostomy constriction and depression, Removal of an offensive odor, The use of colostomy bag-selection for, and demonstration of the use of inexpensive colostomy irrigation equipment, Personal hygiene, general skin care, care of hair, finger nails and toe-nails, Oral hygiene, sleep and rest, aquate, Daily activities, etc. Measures for regulation of bowl movement. Keeping the instruction of taking food, Preparing the meal and help for anorexia, Constipation and it's solution, Prevention of diarrhea, helping the removal of mucous, and stretch constricted steam as needed. Nursing activities for pt's socio-psychological needs are as follows; Help the patient to make decision for the operation, Remove pt's anxiety toward operation and anesthesia, To meet the pt's spiritual needs at his death bed, Help to establish family and friends cooperation, Help to reduce anxiety at the time of admission and it's solution, Help to meet religious need, Help to remove pt's anxiety for loosing his job and family maintenance, Follow-up studies for 7 cases have been done to implement the present thesis. The items of the personal interviews with the patients are as follows: Acceptability for artificial anus, The most anxious thing they had in mind at the time of discharge, The most anxious thing they hat·e in mind at present, Their friends and family's attitudes toward the patient after operation, Relations with other colostomy patients, Emotional damage from the operation, Physical problem of enema, irrigation, Control of diet, Skin care, Control of offensive odor, Patient's suggestions to nurses during hospital stay and after discharge. In conclusion, the follow-up care for colostomy patients shares equal weight or perhaps more than the post-operative care. The follow-up care should include the spiritual care for moral support of the patient, to drag him out of isolation and estrangement, and make him fully participate in social activities. It is suggested that the following measures would help to rehabilitate the colostomy patients (1) mutual acquaintance with other colostomy patients if possible form a sort of club for the colostomy patient to exchange their experiences in care (2) through the team work of doctor, nurse and rehabilitation specialists, to have a sort of concerted effort for betterment of the patient.

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A Study on Patients' Satisfaction and Service Utilization in the DRG Based Payment System - Patients who Experienced Cesarean Section Before and After the Demonstration Program - (DRG 지불제도에서 환자의 의료서비스 만족도와 제공량에 관한 연구 - 시범사업 전.후 제왕절개 분만 경험 산모를 대상으로 -)

  • Kim, Ji Sook;Park, Hayoung
    • Quality Improvement in Health Care
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    • v.7 no.2
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    • pp.190-202
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    • 2000
  • Background : The objectives of this study were to examine patients' satisfaction with the DRG based payment method and its association with their awareness of the method, to examine patient reported changes in doctors' caring attitude, level of their out-of-pocket payments, providers' acceptance of patients' request for additional services after the program, and to examine changes in service utilization recorded in medical records. Method : One hundred-four patients who had cesarean sections before and after the demonstration program at two hospitals located in Seoul participated in the study. Patients were surveyed before discharges when their charges were finalized. Their medical records were reviewed as well to collect data for service utilization during hospital stays. The association between patients' satisfaction with the payment method and their awareness of the method was analyzed by ${\chi}^2$-test, and the significance of changes in providers' acceptance of patients' request for additional services and service utilization after the program were examined by ${\chi}^2$-test and t-test, respectively. Results : A large proportion of patients did not know of the DRG based payment method at the time of survey and a significantly larger proportion of patients who came to the hospitals with the knowledge satisfied with the method. About the same proportion of patients reported improvement and deterioration in doctors' caring attitude compare to the previous hospitalizations and a similar result was found concerning out-of-pocket payments. Providers' acceptance of patients' request for medication, PCA and painless delivery decreased significantly after the program whereas the acceptance for additional hospital days and laboratory and radiology tests did not. Length of stay, the numbers of days on antibiotics and antianemic medication, and the number of blood tests decreased significantly after the program, however, decreases in the rate of antianemic medication and the number of urine analyses were not statistically significant. Re-operation, in-hospital death, and complications were not observed before and after the program. Conclusion : The study findings indicated a need for better patient education and publicity about the newly introduced payment method to improve their satisfaction with the system. Other study findings concerning service utilization and quality of care indicators were consistent with the government funded evaluation studies.

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The status of breast cancer screening of women at a breast clinic in a small city in Korea -Using medical records- (중소도시 일 유방클리닉 방문 여성의 유방암 검진현황 -의무기록을 이용한 후향적 조사연구-)

  • Lee, Hye Won;Kim, Young Mee
    • Journal of Digital Convergence
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    • v.19 no.10
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    • pp.491-500
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    • 2021
  • The status of breast cancer screening of women at a breast clinic in a small city in Korea-Using medical records Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate breast cancer incidence by age, including those under 40, and to emphasize the importance of early breast cancer screening for young breast cancer patients. Method: The study was designed as a retrospective survey method. We investigated the medical charts of 483 patients diagnosed with breast cancer among 23,200 visitors to local breast clinic from May 1, 2010 to April 30, 2020. Results: The average age of 483 patients was 47.9, with 36% in their 40s and 28.6% under 40. Among the patients, 5.4% had a family history of breast cancer, and 70.8% were pre-menopausal. The most common reason for visiting the clinic was the mass(54.2%). The size of tumors was less than 2cm (56%), followed by 2-5cm (43.4%) and more than 5cm (5.6%). The size of tumors was smaller in the asymptomatic case than in the symptomatic case. In the pathologic results, invasive ductal cancer was the most common at 80.3%. Conclusions: Breast cancer screening program should be activated even for young women under the age of 40. We suggest educating the importance of breast cancer screening, and lowering the age of national breast cancer screening program.

Analyzing Health Information Technology and Electronic Medical Record System-Related Patient Safety Incidents Using Data from the Korea Patient Safety Reporting and Learning System (환자안전보고학습시스템 자료를 활용한 의료정보기술 및 전자의무기록시스템 관련 환자안전사건 분석)

  • Cho, Dan Bi;Lee, Yu-Ra;Lee, Won;Lee, Eu Sun;Lee, Jae-Ho
    • Quality Improvement in Health Care
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    • v.27 no.2
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    • pp.57-72
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    • 2021
  • Purpose: At present, there are a variety of serious patient safety incidents related to problems in health information technology (HIT), specifically involving electronic medical records (EMRs). This emphasizes the need for an enhanced electronic medical record system (EMRS). As such, this study analyzed both the nature of and potential to prevent incidents associated with HIT/EMRS based on data from the Korea Patient Safety Reporting and Learning System (KOPS). Methods: This study analyzed patient safety incidents submitted to KOPS between August 2016 and December 2019. HIT keywords were used to extract HIT/EMRS incidents. Each case was reviewed to confirm whether the contributing factors were related to HIT/EMRS (HIT/EMRS-related incidents) and if the incident could have been prevented (HIT/EMRS-preventable incidents). The selected reports were summarized for general clarity (e.g., incident type, and degree of harm). Results: Of the 25,515 obtained reports, 2,664 incidents (10.4%) were HIT-related, while 2,525 (9.9%) were EMRS-related. HIT/EMRS-related incidents were the third largest type of incident followed by 'fall' and 'medication incidents.' More than 80% of HIT/EMRS-related incidents were medication-related, accounting for approximately one-third of the total number of medication incidents. Approximately 10% of HIT/EMRS-related incidents resulted in patient harm, with more than 94% of these deemed as preventable; further, sentinel events were wholly preventable. Conclusion: This study provides basic data for improving EMR use/safety standards based on real-world patient safety incidents. Such improvements entail the establishment of long-term plans, research, and incident analysis, thus ensuring a safe healthcare environment for patients and healthcare providers.

Clinical Characteristics of Oncologic Patients with DNR Decision at a Tertiary Hospital (심폐소생술금지 결정 시점에서의 임상적 특성: 일개 종합병원 종양내과 사망한 암환자를 대상으로)

  • Kang, Na Young;Park, Jeong Yun
    • Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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    • v.19 no.1
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    • pp.26-33
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    • 2016
  • Purpose: This study was conducted to identify clinical characteristics of oncologic patients at a point when they signed their do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders. Methods: From January through December 2014, we retrospectively analyzed the records of 197 patients who passed away after agreeing to a DNR order in the hemato-oncology department of a tertiary hospital. Results: Of all, 121 patients (61.4%) were male and 76 (38.6%) were female, and their average age was 58.7 years. Ninety-four patients (47.7%) had gastrointestinal cancer. The ECOG performance status at admission was grade 3 in 76 patients (36.5%) and grade 4 in 11 (5.6%). The patients' mean hospital stay was 20 days. The mean duration from the admission to DNR decision was 13 days, and the mean duration from DNR decision to death was seven days. Conclusion: Study results indicate that a decision on signing or refusing a DNR order was made by medical staff mostly based on the opinions of patients' guardians rather than the patients themselves. This suggests that patients' own wishes are not well respected. Thus, it is urgent to establish institutional devices to enhance cancer patients' autonomy regarding DNR and to define an adequate timing for withdrawal of treatments.