• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.67-84
• /
• 2022

This study aimed to explore the status of food service outsourcing behavior of long-term care institutions (LTCIs) through a cross-sectional survey using a questionnaire administered between July 16th and August 7th, 2020. The survey respondents were either dietitians or facility managers, who worked at 731 nursing homes, 477 group homes, and 673 day-care centers. Approximately 25.9% of nursing homes, 11.7% of group homes, and 33.1% of day-care centers used a managed-services company to operate their food service units. The main reason for outsourcing food service by nursing homes was related to the staffing of dietitians and cooks, whereas group homes and day-care centers outsourced food services due to factors relating to meal costs and the cooking process. Almost all the LTCIs entered into private contracts for outsourced food services. Only a few food service contracts included the types of meals, nutrition standards such as protein and calories per meal, and the parameter or ratio of food cost. Of the respondents, 84.5% from nursing homes, 87.5% from group homes, and 87.1% from day-care centers agreed that the quality of outsourced food services of the LTCIs should be regulated. Meals are essential for maintaining the health and functional status of LTCI users. As more LTCIs outsource their food services, we suggest the following: (1) Increasing the minimum dietitian staffing standards for LTCIs as per the Welfare of Senior Citizens Act and requiring at least one dietitian for every nursing home, (2) Making it mandatory to use a standard food service contract template when drafting food service contract, and (3) Developing realistic standards for food service operations considering the size and operation type of the LTCIs.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.773-789
• /
• 2016

This study was conducted to identify the sleep patterns and influencing factors of hospitalized elderly in a long-term care hospital. The sleep patterns of 142 subjects were recorded using Sleep Charts. The average sleep time of subjects was 10.7 hours a day (3.9 hours in daytime and 6.8 hours in nighttime). Sleep regularity among participants were 71.7% in all day (58.1% in day time and 80.5% in night time). The presence of dementia patients in the room (PDPR) has been identified to be a statistically significant predictor of all day sleep, and pain, PDPR, and physical function have been found to be a significant predictors of sleep regularity in all day among subjects. It suggested that elderly patients in a long-term care hospital do not slept well during night, which leads to increase in daytime sleep and decrease the quality of their sleep. Therefore, an intervention program should be developed to promote the quality of sleep among hospitalized elderly.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.36-46
• /
• 2013

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to find a way to effectively introduce accreditation for ambulatory health care organization by identifying the physicians' attitude for accreditation and characteristics that affect thei r attitude. Methods: A web survey was conducted from February 15 to March 4, 2011 for 183 physicians who work in ambulatory health care organizations throughout the nation. Self-reported questionnaire was used for this study. SPSS WIN(version 12.0) was utilized for statistical analysis. Results: Physician's attitude towards accreditation for ambulatory health care organization was positive(25.7%), moderate(39.3%), and negative(35.0%). Clinics that practice as a group or which treat more patients per day showed more positive attitude(p<0.05). The result of ordinal regression analysis indicates the groups with daily patients over 100 showed 36.3 times more positive attitude than the one under 75(p<0.05). Conclusion: The accreditation for ambulatory health care organization has not been throughly discussed yet. Many physicians did not have knowledge about accreditation. Clinics that see more patients per day had more positive attitude for accreditation. It indicates the cost may play important role in voluntary participation in accreditation.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.143-154
• /
• 2005

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of home care exercise program on knee joint function(WOMAC) and the quality of life in patient with total knee replacement arthroplasty. Method: Forty-one subjects were sampled according to research criteria, and divided into two groups : 21 out of experimental group and 20 out of control group. The patients having treatment of total knee replacement arthroplasty were out of the hospital. After surgery executed, it took 8days for them to recovere their health conditions since 10th day, the experimental group received the home care exercise program per regularly four days interval. Results: 1) After applying home care exercise program, the total score on the WOMAC Index for the control group was $3.09{\pm}.76$. The score of the experimental group was $3.55{\pm}.55$ which is statistically higher than that of the control group. (P=.007). 2) After applying home care exercise program, the score of the quality of life for the control group was $3.09{\pm}.50$. The score of the experimental group was $3.46{\pm}.35$ Which is statistically higher than that of the control group. (P=.007). Conclusion: This figures show that home care exercise program has good results. These findings also indicate that the services of home care exercise program are alternatives for the hospitalization.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.27-36
• /
• 2012

Objectives : A protocol called "critical pathway" was developed to standardize the management of hospital patients the day after they underwent gamma knife radiosurgery. The quality of improvement in patient outcomes was evaluated. Methods : Critical pathway was developed, according to the regulations of the I hospital, by analyzing the medical records of 22 inpatients who underwent gamma knife surgery within the period from January to April 2011 on the day of the surgery. The study included a group of 22 patients admitted to the hospital the day after they underwent gamma knife radiosurgery, between July and September 2011. The control group included 22 patients who had surgery employing the same method within the period from May to June 2011. To measure the effects on quality improvement, the average length of stay, the execution rate of the hospital discharge notice system, daily hospital revenue, and the satisfaction of the patients and the medical team were assessed. The patient questionnaire employed a four-point Likert scale while the medical-staff questionnaire employed a five-point Likert scale. Result : The average length of stay was significantly shorter in the study group compared to the control group (2.3 days vs. 3.8 days, P<0.05). The execution rate of the hospital discharge notice system was higher in the study group (100% vs. 72%) than in the control group. Daily hospital revenues were higher by 264,178 Korean won in the study group when compared to the control group. The study group showed greater satisfaction of patients compared to the control group based on a four-point Likert scale (P<0.05). The study group showed greater satisfaction in medical team compared to the control group based on a five-point Likert scale (P<0.05). Conclusion : The development and implementation of a critical pathway protocol for hospital admission the day after gamma knife radiosurgery is an effective care process that improves the clinical quality.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.184-195
• /
• 1997

Background : The purpose of this research was to evaluate the appropriateness of preoperative hospital days in a tertiary care hospital and to examine the reasons of the inappropriateness, so as to provide basic information and policy for enhancing appropriateness of preoperative hospitalization and benefit of patients and hospital. Methods : The subjects of the research were the 344 patients who received operation among discharged patients during January, 1996 in surgical departments including general surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery and ophthalmology. Their medical records were reviewed and appropriateness of hospital days was evaluated by the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol. Result : The results of evaluating the appropriateness of preoperative hospitalization showed that inappropriate hospital days were 80.8%. The reasons of inappropriate hospital stays were the tests or preparation which could be done in outpatient basis' followed by 'possible tests or preparation on the operation day' and 'cancelation of operation'. Conclusion : In order to shorten the inappropriate preoperative length of stay, it is recommended that lengthening of laboratory running time and doing most of tests necessary for operations on the outpatient basis prior to admission should be considered. In addition, the operation at the same day of hospitalization and usage of day surgery should be encouraged. Finally there should be changes in the inpatient management system and attitudes and behaviors of surgeons to shorten unnecessary preoperative and maximize the benefit for patients and hospital.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.201-215
• /
• 2007

This study examined cortisol patterning in 160 children(79 boys, 81 girls; aged 4-5) attending twelve childcare centers in Seoul and Kyunggi Province. Saliva samples for the assay of cortisol were collected twice a day at 10 : 30 am and 3 : 30 pm. Saliva samples were collected again within a week after the first collection. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. The cortisol level of the afternoon showed neither increase nor decrease compared to morning. Regression analysis indicated that time children spent at childcare centers accounted for increased afternoon cortisol levels; that is, higher levels of afternoon cortisol were associated with more hours per day at childcare centers.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.735-742
• /
• 2002

This study was conducted to identify the pain characteristics, family support and physical functioning and to determine predictors of the quality of life in aged women with chronic pain. Method: The questionnaires were collected through direct interview by a trained research assistant from July 2 to August 24, 2001. Subjects were 108 women clients with chronic pain over 65 years of age. Data analyzed frequency, percentage, mean, Pearson's correlation, ANOVA and stepwise multiple regression by SAS. Result: Care providers were mostly spouses and daughters in law. Care providers who took care of elderly for a few hours a day had the highest percentile. Aged women had persistently had chronic pain of moderate intensity and was moderately satisfied with pain management. The mean score of disability due to pain was 3 on a 10 point scale. The mean scores of physical function and quality of life were moderate and there were negative correlations between pain characteristics, physical functioning, and quality of life at the range from r=-.46 to r=-.83. Satisfaction with care, duration of pain, disability due to pain, and physical functioning accounted for 56% of the variance in perceived quality of life for aged women with chronic pain. Disability due to pain was the most predictable variable of quality of life and physical function was the second .Conclusion: The results suggest that care by family, education in pain control, prevention of disability, and maintenance of physical function are important to improve and maintain quality of life in aged women with chronic pain. Therefore, there is a need for program development that enhance family support and nursing intervention that focuses on active pain control.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.156-171
• /
• 1996

Background: Nosocomial infection control is one of important means to assure the quality of medical care in the hospital, however, it has been neglected by most of the hospital personnels. Of nosocomial infections, urinary tract infection is the highest incidence, which is related to the indwelling catheter. It is, therefore, necessary to pay primary attention to the patients with the indwelling catheter in intensive care unit in order to control nosocomial Infection and to improve the quality of medical care in the hospital. Methods : The subjects of this study were patients with indwelling catheter who were admitted to the ICU of Pusan Paik Hospital from March 1994 to May 1995. The author calculated UTI rate among the subjects through the cultivation of the urine, identified the related factors of the UTI through brain storming of study team and head nurses working at ICU, and analized the effectiveness of the proposed approaches through comparing the infection rates of before and after activities. Results : The major activities carried out by the study team were to conduct in-service education programs for the staffs working at ICU about the importance of the nosocomial infection control in QA, and nursing intervention to reduce the UTI rate among the patients with indwelling catether. 1. The major nursing interventions that the study team had implemented were as follows ; 1) Drainage system was changed from partial open system to completely closed system. 2) Bladder irrigation which was routinely practised in all patients stopped among the noninfected patients. 3) Bladder irrigation set was changed to the disposable one. 4) Catheter was inserted under the anesthesia for patients to be operated. 5) Male patient receiving wrapped with gauze after perineal care was not wrapped. 6) Clamp which had not been before was newly attached to drainage tube. 7) Urine bag which had been packed into a lot of pieces was done into each piece. 8) The interval of change of indwelling catheter had regularly been four weeks, however it was used continously until it worked well. 9) Catheter was attached well at the defined site. 10) Paper towel was used instead of cotton towel. 11) Mats at the entrance were removed and cleansing of wards was enhanced. 2. The UTI rate by month was 34.4% in maximum and 9.8% in minimum during the period of this study, however it had gradually decreased. After 6 months from initiating infection control activities, the trend of rates was relatively stable. It was identified that UTI rate was different by season 12.5% in winter and 27.2% in summer. 3. Utilization rate of indwelling catheter was maintained at under 50%, but it was increased above 57% from April 1995. 4. The number of bladder irrigation sets used per day was 33.3 sets in maximum and 2.8 sets in minimum. The number used per day were also remarkably deceased. Conclusion : It was found that a program to control UTI could contribute to nosocomial infection control, and it was, in turn, a mean to assure the quality of medical care in the hospital. The nursing interventions which this study team had implemented were effective in the reduce of UTI rates.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.45-54
• /
• 2008

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationships between early childhood socioemotional development and day care experience and daycare quality. The subjects were 116 children, age 5 years old, from 17 daycare centers. The teachers at the 17 daycare centers rated the quality of their facility while the mothers of the 116 children assessed their children's socioemotional development. Daycare experience was composed of: the time period, hours per day, and the child's starting age at enrollment in daycare. Daycare quality was measured by questionnaire developed by Park(1995). Children's socioemotional development was rated by K-CBCL (Oh et al. 1997). The results were as follows. First, starting daycare experience less than 2 years of age, attending more than 6 days per week, and attending more than 8 hours per day of daycare experience were negatively related with children's development. Second, quality of daycare such as child-centered curriculum, abundant interaction between teachers and parents, opportunity for continuing education of teachers, higher levels of rewards and incentives for teachers, and the provision of nutritious food were positively related to the children's development.