• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.391-406
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide foundational knowledge on nursing tasks performed on patients with COVID-19 in a nationally-designated inpatient treatment unit. Methods: This study employs both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The quantitative method investigated the content and frequency of nursing tasks for 460 patients (age ≥ 18 y, 57.4% men) from January 20, 2020, to September 30, 2021, by analyzing hospital information system records. Qualitative data were collected via focus group interviews. The study involved interviews with three focus groups comprising 18 nurses overall to assess their experiences and perspectives on nursing care during the pandemic from February 3, 2022, to February 15, 2022. The data were examined with thematic analysis. Results: Overall, 49 different areas of nursing tasks (n = 130,687) were identified based on the Korean Patient Classification System for nurses during the study period. Among the performed tasks, monitoring of oxygen saturation and measuring of vital signs were considered high-priority. From the focus group interview, three main themes and eleven sub-themes were generated. The three main themes are "Experiencing eventfulness in isolated settings," "All-around player," and "Reflections for solutions." Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative to ensure adequate staffing levels, compensation, and educational support for nurses. The study further propose improving guidelines for emerging infectious diseases and patient classification systems to improve the overall quality of patient care.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.70-82
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• 1997

Objective：This study was performed to identify and understand the characteristics of adolescents who had a history of police arrest and/or were adjudicated unruly/delinquent by the juvenile court. Method：The study employed a retrospective reivew of coumputer-recorded data set on 210 consecutive admissions to an adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit. Three groups(No Police Contact, N=115；Police Contact Only, N=60；Adjudicated, N=35) were compared on the areas of a) cognitive and educational performance b) emotion：anxiety, depression, suicidality c) personality d) family and life experiences. Standardized assessments were administered to all subjects using WISC-Ⅲ, Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory, Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale, Revised-Chilren’s Manifest Anxiety Scale, Suicide Ideation Questionnarie, Suicide Behavior Interive, Life Events Checklist, and Family Environmental Scale. A subgroup of the subjects, 60 cases also received a standardized interview by Child Assessment Schedule. Results：The characteristic findings of the delinquent group(the police contact only and adjudicated subjects combined) included (1) a high rate of adoption, sexual promiscuity, out of home placement, and repeated psychiatric hospitalization, (2) low verbal IQ scores and educational achievements, (3) high impulsivity, low social conformity, and high forcefulness in personality inventory, (4) low activityrecreation orientation and low moral religious emphasis in family environment, (5)a high frequency of adverse life experiences, (6) among 3 groups, the Police Contact Only group showed the lowest depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation scores, (7) a high diagnostic frequency of conduct disorder, ODD, and ADHD. Conclusions：The adolescent psychiatric inpatients with a delinquent history presented with a certain clinical, family, psychometric characteristics that warrant specific clinical intervention strategies for their cognitive deficits, an impulsive personality style, family dysfunction with adverse life experiences and disruptive behavioral disorders, different from the rest of adolescent psychiatric inpatients.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.14-28
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to calculate the total daily nursing workload and the optimum number of nurses per intensive care unit (ICU) based on the nursing intensity and the direct nursing time per inpatient using the patient classification. Methods: Two ICUs at one general hospital were investigated. To calculate the nursing intensity, patient classification according to the nursing needs was conducted for 10 days in each unit during September 2018. We performed patient classifications for a total of 167 patient-days in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) and 86 patient-days in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU). The total number of person-days for nurses who responded to the Nursing Time survey was 151 for MICU and 85 for SICU. In each unit, direct and non-direct nursing hours, nursing intensity score, and direct nursing hours were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, and average calculated using Microsoft Excel. The amount of nursing workload and the optimum number of nurses were calculated according to the formula developed by the authors. Findings: For the MICU, the average direct nursing time per patient was 5.59 hours for Group 1, 6.98 hours for Group 2, and 9.28 hours for Group 3. For the SICU, the average direct nursing time per patient was 5.43 hours for Group 1, 7.21 hours for Group 2, 9.75 hours for Group 3, and 12.82 hours for Group 4. Practical Implications: This study confirmed that the appropriate number of nurses was not secured in the nursing unit of this study, and that leisure time such as meal time during nursing work hours was not properly guaranteed. The findings suggest that to create working environments where nurses can serve for extended periods of time without compromising their professional standards, hospitals should secure an appropriate number of nurses.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.57-68
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• 2014

Since the introduction of National Health Insurance(NHI) in 1977, it has grown rapidly and contributed to extend patient's access to the health care services. However, limited coverage for health care services of NHI has been ongoing challenge and private health insurance(PHI) has been rising as an alternative source of enhancing coverage and saving out-of-pocket(OOP) expenditure for patients. In this study, after controlling for socio-demographic, economic, health related variables, we identified the patients' healthcare utilization and subsequent OOP expenditure depending on their PHI enrollment and their enrollment types(fixed benefit, indemnity, fixed benefit plus indemnity). Data were collected from the 2010 Korean Health Panel. The unit of analysis was a member of household(n=13,324). Of the 13,324 cases, 70.7% of patients held PHI, in detail, fixed benefit(47.0%), indemnity(3.6%), fixed benefit plus indemnity(20.1%). Major findings showd that patients who enrolled in PHI used more outpatient services(outpatient visit, number of physician visit, number of examination) and spent more OOP expenditure than non-PHI patients. There were also differences of healthcare utilization and OOP expenditure among the types of PHI. In addition, PHI patients used more inpatient services(inpatient use, number of hospitalization, LOS), but there was no significant difference between PHI and non-PHI patients with regard to the OOP expenditure. Thus, we could not find any distinct relationship between the types of PHI and patients' tertiary hospital use. Policy-makers should need careful political deliberation for monitoring the effect of PHI on health care utilization and subsequent expenditure not only to improve patients' coverage but also to save their OOP expenditures.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.186-207
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• 2001

Background : This study presented an analysis of healthcare quality indicators using data mining and a development of decision support system for quality improvement. Method : Specifically, important factors influencing the key quality indicators were identified using a decision tree method for data mining based on 8,405 patients who discharged from a medical center during the period between December 1, 2000 and January 31, 2001. In addition, a decision support system was developed to analyze and monitor trends of these quality indicators using a Visual Basic 6.0. Guidelines and tutorial for quality improvement activities were also included in the system. Result : Among 12 selected quality indicators, decision tree analysis was performed for 3 indicators ; unscheduled readmission due to the same or related condition, unscheduled return to intensive care unit, and inpatient mortality which have a volume bigger than 100 cases during the period. The optimum range of target group in healthcare quality indicators were identified from the gain chart. Important influencing factors for these 3 indicators were: diagnosis, attribute of the disease, and age of the patient in unscheduled returns to ICU group ; and length of stay, diagnosis, and belonging department in inpatient mortality group. Conclusion : We developed a decision support system through analysis of healthcare quality indicators and data mining technique which can be effectively implemented for utilization review and quality management in a healthcare organization. In the future, further number of quality indicators should be developed to effectively support a hospital-wide Continuous Quality Improvement activity. Through these endevours, a decision support system can be developed and the newly developed decision support system should be well integrated with the hospital Order Communication System to support concurrent review, utilization review, quality and risk management.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.4913-4918
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• 2013

Objective: To assess the level of an inpatient population's awareness about hepatitis and primary liver cancer (PLC), the most common type of which is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and then to initiate education of this group. Methods: A survey was conducted with 1300 participants within the inpatient unit in representative tertiary hospitals in the Chaoshan area of China. Structured questionnaires contained demographic data and statements about different aspects of liver cancer and hepatitis. The questionnaires were completed by trained medical practitioners after they had conducted the interviews. Results: One way ANOVA showed that the sample population lacked adequate knowledge about HCC and hepatitis. Stepwise multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the participant's level of education had the greatest impact on their total knowledge score when other variables remained constant. Conclusions: The study demonstrated: a general lack of awareness amongst the participants about the preventative strategies, and the management options available for people with primary liver cancer and hepatitis; education level was an important factor affecting knowledge levels. The demonstrated deficiencies in people's knowledge about hepatitis and HCC, and their lack of subsequent protective behaviours are likely to play an important role in HCC and hepatitis transmission or prevention.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.337-342
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• 2017

Background: Workplace violence (WPV) against healthcare workers (HCWs) employed in psychiatric inpatient wards is a serious occupational issue that involves both staff and patients; the consequences of WPV may include increased service costs and lower standards of care. The purpose of this review was to evaluate which topics have been focused on in the literature and which are new in approaching the concern of patient violence against HCWs employed in psychiatric inpatient wards, in the past 20 years. Methods: We searched for publications in PubMed and Web of Science using selected keywords. Each article was reviewed and categorized into one or more of the following four categories based on its subject matter: risk assessment, risk management, occurrence rates, and physical/nonphysical consequences. Results: Our search resulted in a total of 64 publications that matched our inclusion criteria. The topics discussed, in order of frequency (from highest to lowest), were as follows: "risk assessment," "risk management," "occurrence rates," and "physical/nonphysical consequences." Schizophrenia, young age, alcohol use, drug misuse, a history of violence, and hostile-dominant interpersonal styles were found to be the predictors of patients' violence. Conclusion: Risk assessment of violence by patients appeared the way to effectively minimize the occurrence of WPV and, consequently, to better protect mental HCWs. We found paucity of data regarding psychologic sequelae of WPV. According to these findings, we suggest the need to better investigate the psychologic consequences of WPV, with the aim of checking the effective interventions to assist HCW victims of violence and to prevent psychologic illness.

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.140-153
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• 2024

Background and Objectives: Although a single-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) patch may provide advantages for detecting arrhythmias in outpatient settings owing to user convenience, its comparative effectiveness for real-time telemonitoring in inpatient settings remains unclear. We aimed to compare a novel telemonitoring system using a single-lead ECG patch with a conventional telemonitoring system in an inpatient setting. Methods: This was a single-center, prospective cohort study. Patients admitted to the cardiology unit for arrhythmia treatment who required a wireless ECG telemonitoring system were enrolled. A single-lead ECG patch and conventional telemetry were applied simultaneously in hospitalized patients for over 24 hours for real-time telemonitoring. The basic ECG parameters, arrhythmia episodes, and signal loss or noise were compared between the 2 systems. Results: Eighty participants (mean age 62±10 years, 76.3% male) were enrolled. The three most common indications for ECG telemonitoring were atrial fibrillation (66.3%), sick sinus syndrome (12.5%), and atrioventricular block (10.0%). The intra-class correlation coefficients for detecting the number of total beats, atrial and ventricular premature complexes, maximal, average, and minimal heart rates, and pauses were all over 0.9 with p values for reliability <0.001. Compared to a conventional system, a novel system demonstrated significantly lower signal noise (median 0.3% [0.1-1.6%] vs. 2.4% [1.4-3.7%], p<0.001) and fewer episodes of signal loss (median 22 [2-53] vs. 64 [22-112] episodes, p=0.002). Conclusions: The novel telemonitoring system using a single-lead ECG patch offers performance comparable to that of a conventional system while significantly reducing signal loss and noise.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.25-33
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• 2002

The effects and necessity of the breast milk are well known, but the breast-feeding rate in our country is very low. One of the reason is due to the separation policy of mother and baby after delivery. The mother is in the inpatient-room and the baby is in the new-born baby room. This isolation operation of hospital get increased according to the decreasing ratio of breast feeding in Korea. Only a few hospital operates and provides the space for a new-born baby in the mother's room. The system of baby and mother in one room is adopted and operated due to the breast feeding campaign. It is very encouraging, but the space for the baby and the mother is not enough in multi-bed rooms. We should reconsider the relationship between the new-born baby unit and the obstetric ward, and design the patient's room for the baby and the mother.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.245-265
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• 1997

The purpose of this study was to promote the effectiveness in managing disease or injury, by examining the length of stay in hospital according to characteristics concerned before and after operation, and by serving as a basis for reducing that length. As a result of investigating the length of stay in hospital according to inpatient's personal characteristics, clinical features and other characteristics concerned, the following characteristics appeared significant. The characteristics that showed a significant difference about the length of stay in hospital before and after operation were the age and the fact whether one was married or not among inpatient's personal characteristics. The significant ones among clinical features were the route to be taken to hospital, the form of insurance, the experience of re-hospitalization, whether another disease coexisted, the experiment of changing department, whether a diagnosis was determined by consultation, whether an intensive care unit was used, whether re-operation was performed, the total number of case of the experience of re-hospitalization, inpatient who were again sent to hospital under the same diagnosis was not included in the investigation, which was pointed out as a limit in this study. The significant ones among other characteristics concerned were the date and season when the patients were taken to hospital and the doctor in attendance. The doctor in attendance appeared to give a significant impact on the length of stay in hospital before operation, but no significant difference was noted in the mean among the doctors in attendance. And those characteristics were not found regularly among the selected departments. As stated above, one way to reduce the length of stay In hospital was to diminish the length of stay in hospital before operation. The term of hospitalization before operation shall be reduced by grasping the factors that affected that length before operation and by conducting examination as many as possible in the out-patient department. Also, the efforts should be put on that length after operation. The management of hospital seemed to be successfully carried out if those factors affected that length were effectively controlled.