• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.9-22
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop the Korean root cause analysis (RCA) software that can be used to systematically investigate underlying causes for preventing or reducing recurrence of patient safety incidents. Methods: We reviewed the existing guidelines and literatures on the RCA in order to figure out the RCA process. Also we examined the existing RCA softwares for investigating patient safety incidents to design the contents and interface of the RCA software. Based on the results of reviewing literatures and softwares, we developed a draft version of the Korean RCA software that can be easily used in Korean hospital settings by RCA teams. Results: The Korean RCA software consisted of several modules, which are modules for identifying patient safety incidents, organizing RCA team, collecting and analysing data, determining contributory factors and root causes, developing the action plans, and guiding evaluation. Conclusion: The Korean RCA software included optimized RCA process and structured logic for cause analysis. Thus even beginners in RCA are expected to easily use this software for investigating patient safety incidents. As software has been developed with the public financial support, it will be distributed free of charge. We hope that it will contribute to facilitating patient safety improvement activities in Korea.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.281-288
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• 1987

A total and consecutive 163 patients underwent cardiac valve replacement using the Hancock porcine xenograft cardiac valves from 1 976 to 1984. Of 198 substitute valves, 177 were the Hancock valves. One hundred twenty-nine patients[79.1%] had single valve replacement: MVR 118, AVR 8 and TVR 3; 33[20.3%] had double valve replacement: MVR+AVR 27 and MVR+TVR 6; and a single case had triple valve replacement. Other surgical procedures were added in 34 patients. The operative mortality rate within 30 days of surgery was 6.1%, and it was, however, 4.2%, with single MVR. Late mortality rate was 6.7% or 1.95%/patient-year of a linealized mortality rate. Early survivors of 153 patients were followed up for a total of 565.1 patient-years [a mean of 44.3*27.1 months]. The linealized annual complication rates were: 1.95% emboli/patient-year, 0.89% bleeding/patient-year 1.24% endocarditis/patient-year, and 4.25% overall failure/patient-year. Primary tissue failure occurred at a rate of 1.59%/patient-year. The actuarial survival rates including operative mortality were 87.0*4.1% and 77.3*6.6% at 5 and 11 years after surgery respectively. The probability of freedom from thromboembolic complication of 89.2*3.4% at 5 years after surgery lasted unchanged upto 11 years. The probability of freedom from overall valve failure was 81.3*4.5% at postoperative 5 years, and it dropped down to 26.2*19.4% at 11 years, although the latter was statistically insignificant because of a small number of patients entering into the years approaching the follow-up end. However, the probability of freedom from the primary tissue failure was 81.3*10.6% at postoperative 9 years, which coincides closely with the speculated rate of tissue degeneration of about 20% in 10 years. These clinical results confirm the low thrombogenicity of the Hancock porcine valve and the reasonable failure rate of tissue degeneration.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.25-45
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the environments of patient care, education, and research as indicators of university hospital performance. The objective data for this study were collected by secondary data. The subjective data were collected by a total of 523 questionnaire survey interviews conducted in C university hospital, of which 123 were students, interns, or residents, 76 were professors, and the remaining 324 were patients. The major statistical methods used for the analysis were t-test and ANOVA. We found that the environment of patient care is better than the environment of education and research in C university hospital. While the concern for patient care of C university hospital was about 60%, the equivalent figures for education and research were both 20%. And the patients' satisfaction level was higher than the others. The environment of education and research was found to be deficient in some aspects, especially in such areas as facilities, equipment, and investment. In particular for professors the time for research was very limited because of the demands of patient care. These findings clearly demonstrate that university hospitals need to pay greater attention to the areas of education and research, as well as to patient care. This article concludes with a discussion and summary and presents issues in need of further study.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.763-769
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• 2016

Objective: To confirm the immediate gait improvement in a post-stroke gait disturbance patient equipped with a weighted vest. Methods: We selected a patient who was able to walk without another’s help or with tools. The selected patient had an unstable gait because she had only started an independent gait within the past week, so we thought that a weighted vest could be very helpful for her. We first collected gait parameters using a treadmill gait analysis system while the patient walked on the treadmill without the weighted vest. After a 10-minute break, gait parameters were collected again while the patient walked on the treadmill while wearing the weighted vest. The gait parameters we collected included step length (cm), stance phase (%), swing phase (%), SW/ST, and gait line length (mm). For objective evaluation of gait improvement, we calculated the ratio of gait parameters of the right and left limbs. Results: The gait of the post-stroke patient was more symmetrical when wearing the weighted vest than without the weighted vest. Without the weighted vest, her step length ratio was 0.78, stance phase ratio was 0.88, swing phase ratio was 1.50, SW/ST ratio was 1.70, and gait line length ratio was 0.91. With the weighted vest, her step length ratio was 0.88, stance phase ratio was 0.90, swing phase ratio was 1.38, SW/ST ratio was 1.54, and gait line length ratio was 0.98. No side effects were observed due to the weighted vest.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was done to develop a postural-stability patient transfer technique for care helpers in nursing homes and to evaluate its effectiveness. Methods: Four types of patient transfer techniques (Lifting towards the head board of the bed, turning to the lateral position, sitting upright on the bed, transferring from wheel chair to bed) were practiced in accordance with the following three methods; Care helpers habitually used transfer methods (Method 1), patient transfer methods according to care helper standard textbooks (Method 2), and a method developed by the author ensuring postural-stability (Method 3). The care helpers' muscle activity and four joint angles were measured. The collected data were analyzed using the program SPSS Statistic 21.0. To differentiate the muscle activity and joint angle, the Friedman test was executed and the post-hoc analysis was conducted using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test. Results: Muscle activity was significantly lower during Method 3 compared to Methods 1 and 2. In addition, the joint angle was significantly lower for the knee and shoulder joint angle while performing Method 3 compared to Methods 1 and 2. Discussion: Findings indicate that using postural-stability patient transfer techniques can contribute to the prevention of musculoskeletal disease which care helpers suffer from due to physically demanding patient care in nursing homes.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.247-256
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• 2003

The patient had bruxism and epilepsy tendency. Inadequate or unstable posterior support was identified due to severe anterior attrition and decreased occlusal vertical dimension. Prematurities of posterior occlusal and wear facets increased the function of anterior teeth, resulting in severe wear. Wear facets displayed sharply defined peripheries, which are matched on articulated diagnostic casts. Also the patient showed C III malocclusion tendency, and lost some facial contour with drooping corners on the mouth. In this case, the alteration of OVD (Occlusal Vertical Dimention) may provide a biologically compatible adjunct to the treatment such as dentofacial esthetics, improved visual proportion in facial heightand mechanical solutions to the force-management of the masticatory system. The patient requires extensive restorative treatment to regain appropriate function, esthetics and comfort. According to the report by Farhad Fays, the average vertical distance from the maxillary to the mandibular mucolabial reflection in the region of the central incisors is approximately 34mm. However, the vertical distance of this patient was found to be 32mm, which was necessary to add gauge 20-sheets to apply vertical dimension. A removable occlusal overlay splint, which restores OVD to the estimated optimalposition, is the general first trial. The patient was observed periodically for 6 weeks, while appropriate adjustments were made vertical dimension to function. When patient felt comfortable with the splint, the teeth were prepared, and provisional restorations are placed for 3 months. The provisional restoration was fabricated by a diagnostic wax-up. When the patient felt comfortable with the provisional restoration, the final restoration mimics OVD, function, and esthetics that have been developed in the treatment restorations. Restoration of the extremely worn dentition presents a substantial challenge to thedentists. Therefore, careful evaluation of the etiology, history, and factors associated with occlusal vertical dimension should be preceded prior to the appropriate treatment planning.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.27-37
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the changes in hospital accreditation evaluations, the changes in hospital building design guidelines, and the development of design indicators for reducing medical accidents in the state-of-the-art healthcare providers. Methods: The changes and tools were carefully investigated and compared that had been taken place and used in the building certification standards, design guidelines, and patient safety design standards to reduce accidents in the United States and the United Kingdom. Results: First, medical accidents are recognized as multiple defense layers rather than personal ones, and a public reporting and learning system is created, reporting the accidents in question publicly and suggesting ways to improve them based on the data at a time. Second, for the accreditation institute that secures the service quality of medical institutions, detailed standards for patient safety are continuously updated with focus on clinical trials. The United States is in charge of the private sector, but on the other hand the United Kingdom is in charge of the public sector. Third, the design guidelines are provided as web-based tools that complement various guidelines for patient safety, and are improved and developed as well. Fourth, detailed approaches are continuously developed and provided to secure patient safety and reduce medical accidents through appropriate research, evidence-based design and strict evaluations. Implications: When medical institutions make efforts to strength patient safety methods through valid design standards, accidents are expected to decrease, whereby hospital finances are also to be improved. A higher level of medical quality service will sure be secured through comprehensive certification evaluation.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.109-117
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• 2021

Purpose : This study examined the differences in occupational therapists' jobs depending on their past clinical careers using a survey of the importance of occupational therapy tasks in South Korea. This survey sought to provide fundamental data for strengthening occupational therapists' capacities and developing clinical training programs for therapists' future careers. Methods : An online survey was used to collect data from 93 South Korean occupational therapists. The subjects were divided into three groups for the analysis of the importance of occupational therapy tasks, depending on the length of their clinical careers: less than 3 years, from 4 to 6 years, and over 7 years. Results : A within-groups comparison of task importance found that "occupational therapy evaluation" was most important in all three groups. In between-groups comparisons, "patient information check", "assessment planning and establishment", "sensory function assessment", "social skills assessment", "developmental function improvement", "basic daily activities training", "social skills improvement", and "patient education" demonstrated statistically significant differences (p<.05). Each group showed different priorities. In the less-than-3-years group, "understanding of patient's needs" was most important, followed by "arm function improvement", "arm function assessment", "nerve, musculoskeletal, and motor-related functional improvement", and "basic daily activities training". In the 4-to-6-years group, "arm function assessment" was most important, followed by "basic daily activities assessment", "patient's needs", "arm function improvement", and "patient information check". In the over-7-years group, "understanding of patient's needs" was most important, followed by "patient information check", "basic daily activities assessment", "basic daily activities training", and "sensory function assessment". Conclusion : This study found that what occupational therapists consider important in their jobs varies according to their past clinical career and that occupational therapists with more than 7 years' experience are more aware of the importance of diverse fields of occupational therapy. Differentiated education that considers length of career and a range of training programs for more experienced occupational therapists will be needed in the future.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.1-24
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• 1998

There exists a general consensus in Korea that patients tend to concentrate in large hospitals and this tendency is partly responsible for inefficiency in health services. The process of choosing a medical care provider for health care services and evaluating the provider after utilization seems to involve many diverse factors to become very complex. Therefore a systemsatic study is needed to achieve sufficient understanding of the proeess. For this point of view, this study investigates patient's selection of medical care institution for delivery care services and their evaluation of the institution after delivery. In more specific, the objectives of the study are twofold: 1) to identify the factors associated with expectant mothers' choice of type of medical care institution for delivery among tertiary hospitals, general hospitals, small hospitals, and clinics: and 2) to understand the factors affecting patient evaluation of the medical care institution after delivery. The data used for the analysis were collected through face-to-face interviews with those women who had childbirth during the period from January 1, 1996 to the date of interview in February 1998. The survey was conducted using preqared structured questionnaire in Seoul. The sample was drawn from each of arbitrarily defined four regions of Seoul, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest, in proportion to the number of births reported in 1996 in each of them. The distribution of the interviewed women by educational level was made similar to that of mothers of new babies reported in 1996. The sample size was planned to be about 300, but ended up with analytical sample of 319. Major conclusions emerged from the analysis can be summarized as follows: 1) Large hospitals were evaluated as much better for technical quality than other types of institutions, whereas they were compared similar to or worse for other attributes. And it was found that technical quality of care is considered as the most important condition of medical care institution for delivery, while the amount of direct cost is considered as the least important one. Taken together, the utilization of large hospitals is not likely to decrease even though they cannot give satisfaction to patients in other aspects than technical quality. 2) The activeness in the search for information affected the respondents' evaluation of medical care institutions, which would influence their later decision or recommendation to other persons as to the choice of source of health care services. Therefore, increased efforts should be directed to improving availability of useful and correct information for patients in relation to the utilization of health care services. 3) Since the findings of this study were obtained from the analysis of delivery care services, their applicability to other kinds of services may be limited. Thus it would be useful to conduct a comparative study of several kinds of services explicitly taking into account the characteristics of those services in the analysis.

• Korean Journal of Digital Imaging in Medicine
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.1-8
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• 2012

Purpose : We aim at presenting the optimum radiologic factor through the evaluation of dose variation and of image quality through the use of a grid in Humerus examination and the change of dose because of the change of radiologic factor. Materials and Methods : We divided it in 3 cases: when using a grid or not and when using IP(Image Plate) in a digital system. Also, as fixing kVp to 70kVp it changed mAs, and fixing mAs to 10 it changed kVp, we put up resolution chart and Burger rose phantom on the acrylic phantom of 7cm (the same level of Humerus) to evaluate the dose and image. We used Image J program to evaluate the quantitative resolution of the obtained image, and made the qualitative evaluation and statistical analysis of the image saved in PACS for 20 radiologic technologist with more than 10 years of experience in order of evaluate its contrast. We used SPSS10(SPSS Inc. Chicago, Illinois) for statistical analysis. Results : We observed the analytic result of resolution by the change of kVp that it was $4.539dGycm^2$ in 60kVp and $757.472dGycm^2$ in 75kVp, which increased about 64.6% of dose, while for the resolution it had the pixel value 30.7% better with 851 in 60kVp than 651 in 75kVp. Also, we analyzed the result of resolution by the change of mAs that it was $3.106dGycm^2$ in 5mAs, and $12.470dGycm^2$ in 20mAs, which increased about 400% of dose, while for the resolution DR had 678 in 5mAs, and 724 in 20mAs that increased about 6.8% of resolution. We made the qualitative evaluation of contrast by the change of kVp that DR showed the higher quality than CR, but the contrast by the change of kVp had no special different at the moment of visual evaluation, nor statistically significant difference(P>0.05). We observed the qualitative evaluation of contraste by the change of mAs that the contrast increased as DR increased mAs, and had statistically significant difference(P<0.05). On the other hand, CR had no significant difference for more than 10mAs nor statistically significant difference(P>0.05). Conclusion : In case of some patients with radiographic exposure by the repeated examination such as emergent patient or Follow up patient, they are considered to try to limit the use of a grid, to set kVp under 65kVp in fixed mode, to select less than 10mAs and to reduce the possibility of patient being bombed.