• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.335-373
• /
• 2014

According to one Medicare report, in the US, total federal spending on health care expends almost 18 percent of the nation's GDP, about double what most industrialized nations spend on health care. And in 2011, Medicare spending reached close to $554 billion, which amounted to 21 percent of the total spent on U.S. health care in that year. Of that $554 billion, Medicare spent 28 percent, or about $170 billion, on patients' last six months of life. So what are the reasons of this high cost in EOL care and its possible solutions? Much spendings of Medicare on End-of-Life care for the terminally ill/chronically ill in the US has led health economics experts to assess the characteristics of the care. Decades of study shows that EOL care is usually supply-sensitive and poor in cost-effectiveness. The volume of care is sensitively depending on the supply of resources, rather than the severity of illness or preferences of patients. This means at the End-of-Life care, the medical resources are being overused. On the other hand, opposed to the common assumption, "The more care the better utility", the study shows that the outcome is very poor. Actually the patient preference and concerns are quite the opposite from what intense EOL care would bring about. This study analyzes the reasons for the supply-sensitiveness of EOL care. It can be resulted from the common misconception about the intense care and the outcome, physicians' mission for patients, lack of End-of-Life Care Decision which helps the patients choose their own preferred treatment intensity. It also could be resulted from physicians' fear of legal liabilities, and the management strategy since the hospitals are also seeking for financial benefits. This study suggests the possible solutions for over-treatment at the End-of-Life resulting from supply-sensitiveness. Solutions can be sought in two aspects, legal implementation and management strategy. In order to implement advance directive properly, active ethics education for physicians to change their attitude toward EOL care and more conversations about end-of-life care between physicians and patients is crucial, and incentive system for the physicians who actively have the conversations with patients will also help. Also, the general education towards the public is also important in the long run, and easy and official advance directive registry system-such as online registry-has to be built and utilized more widely. Alternative strategies in management are also needed. For example, the new strategic cost management and management education, such as cutting unnecessary costs and resetting values as medical providers have to be considered. In order to effectively resolve the problem in EOL care for the terminally ill/chronically ill and provide better experience to the patients, first of all, the misconception and the wrong conventional wisdom among doctors, patients, and the government have to be overcome. And then there should be improvements in systems and cultures of the EOL care.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.35-45
• /
• 2009

This survey study was conducted on dental technician school students in April 2008 to investigate the effects of smoking on oral health. 110 male and 39 female students were surveyed and cross analysis was performed to examine the relationship between oral health status and smoking-related and oral health maintenance characteristics of smoking and non-smoking group. T-test and one-way ANAVA was used to analyze the average difference verification of two independent samples(smoking group and non-smoking group) and followings are the results. In general characteristics, 74 male students(74.7%) and 25 female(25.3%) students smoked and the percentage of male students were higher in smoking group. Regarding class grade, 2nd-year students(37 students, 37.4%) and 1st-year students(18 students, 36.0%) took the highest percentage of smoking and non-smoking group, respectively. Concerning the experience of drinking, smoking group consumed more alcoholic beverages(94 students, 94.9%) With respect to the frequency of between-meal consumption, respondents who eat between-meal once or twice smoked more. Respecting preferences of sweet food, respondents who enjoyed sweet food smoked more. Concerning smoking characteristics, many of smoking group had been smoked fo a long time(two to five years) and it was worrisome. About the amounts of smoking, 50 respondents(52.6%) of smoking group smoked 20 cigarettes a day with the highest proportion. With regard to the awareness of harmfulness, 70 respondents(70.7%) considered smoking as very harmful and showed that smoking group were aware of its harmfulness but it was habitualized. Respecting smokers in family members, father was more common as smokers(58 respondents, 58.6%) in family and showed that the influence of father. Main reasons of poor periodontal health were alchoholic consumption, smoking, and oral parafunctional habit(57 respondents, 56.7%) in smoking group and neglect of oral hygiene(21 respondents, 42.0%) in non-smoking group. With regard to the scaling, 80 respondents of smoking group(80.8%) didn't received scaling and showed that more oral health education was required. Regarding the periodontal status, non-smoking group was $1.26{\pm}0.44$, respondents who received scaling was $1.43{\pm}0.50$, respondents who regularly floss was $1.50{\pm}0.52$, respondents who brush more than three times a day was $1.38{\pm}0.49$ and had better periodontal health. Bleeding during tooth brushing was more frequent in smoking group ($1.51{\pm}0.70$). Regarding mouth order, non-smoking group was $2.34{\pm}0.62$, after scaling was $2.02{\pm}0.76$, patients who regularly floss was $1.50{\pm}0.52$, patients who brush more than three times a day was $1.81{\pm}0.87$. Concerning the experience of dental caries treatment, smoking group was $1.20{\pm}0.40$, patients who do not floss was $1.30{\pm}0.46$, patients who brush once a day was $1.29{\pm}0.45$. With regard to dental prosthesis, non-smoking group was $3.78{\pm}1.62$, patients who received scaling was $1.43{\pm}0.50$, patients who regularly floss was $1.40{\pm}0.51$, patients who brush more than three times a day was $1.24{\pm}0.43$. From these results, oral health education and smoking has correlation and more oral health education needs to be carried out to educate students with non-health related majors about harmfulness of smoking on oral health. Also more study are required.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.48 no.6
• /
• pp.660-669
• /
• 2021

Background The demand for aesthetic procedures continues to grow globally, particularly in East Asian countries. The popularity of specific aesthetic procedures varies, however, depending on the particular East Asian geographical region being studied. This study aimed to evaluate the experiences of and attitudes toward aesthetic procedures in five East Asian countries/regions, including China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Methods To recruit participants, an online questionnaire was designed and distributed on social media networks between May 2015 and March 2016. The statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software, version 22.0. Results A total of 3,088 people responded (approximately 600 in each country/region). Of these, 940 participants (47.8%) responded that they had experienced at least one aesthetic procedure in the past. Taiwan had the highest number of participants who had experienced at least one procedure (264/940, 41%), with primarily non-surgical experiences. Only in South Korea did surgical cosmetic experiences exceed non-surgical cosmetic experiences (55.9% vs. 44.1%). The popularity of particular procedures and the motivation for undergoing aesthetic procedures varied by country. Conclusions The popularity of aesthetic procedures continues to evolve. Similar trends were observed across the East Asian regions; however, each country had its unique demands and preferences. The information provided by this study can help aesthetic plastic surgeons further understand the patients in their corresponding region, customize their practice, and develop the requisite skills.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.8
• /
• pp.3939-3943
• /
• 2016

Background: According to recent statistics, the breast cancer rate is growing fast in developing countries. In North West of Iran, the incidence of breast cancer after esophageal and gastric cancers has the highest rate. Previous studies have also indicated that women in this region show reluctance to do breast cancer screening. There is a great need for change to promote breast cancer screening among women. Social marketing is a discipline that uses the systematic application of commercial marketing techniques to promote the adoption of behavior by the target audience. Materials and Methods: In the present qualitative study, thirty-two women with breast cancer were interviewed about their experiences of breast cancer screening. A semi-structured interview guide was designed to elicit information specific to the 4 P's in social marketing. Results: Three main categories emerged from the analysis: price, service and promotion. Subcategories related to these main categories included factors effective in increasing and decreasing cost of screening, current and desirable features of screening services, and weakness of promotion. Conclusions: Screening programs should be designed to be of low cost, to meet patients' needs and should be provided in suitable places. Furthermore, it is essential that the cultural beliefs of society be improved through education. It seems necessary to design an executive protocol for breast cancer screening at different levels of primary health care to increase the women's willingness to undergo screening.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.141-147
• /
• 2009

Background and Objectives: Although laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD) is a widely recognized disease in the field of otolaryngology, controversies still exist regarding the diagnosis and treatment for it. The purpose of this survey was to find out current trends in diagnosis and management of LPRD among Korean otolaryngologists. Materials and Method: Questionnaires were obtained from 26 Korean otolaryngology specialists by electronic balloting, and 46 members of the Korean Society of Head and Neck Surgery (KSHNS) bye-mail. Survey participants were asked about their preferences in diagnostic policy, duration/dosage of antireflux treatment, and their familiarity to the reflux symptom index (RST) and the reflux finding scores (RFS). Results: The majority of the survey participants (64%) preferred empiric therapy trial with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) based on patients' symptoms and their laryngeal findings. PPIs alone (27%) or PPIs with prokinetics (32%) were usually prescribed as a first line treatment mostly with once daily schedule in the morning before meal and for less than 4 months of duration (86%). More than 90% of participants were aware of the RSI and RFS, but less than 50% of them were actually using those items in the clinics. Conclusion: Most of Korean otolaryngologists who participated in this survey answered that they prefer starting empirical treatments with proton pump inhibitors mainly based on the patient's symptoms and their laryngeal findings.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2020

Objectives The purpose of this study is to evaluate the satisfaction and utility of a clinical training in Pediatrics of Korean Medicine after conducting participatory practices in clinical training. Methods A survey was conducted with 46 students who completed a clinical training in 2019. After completing Problem Based Learning (PBL), Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and Clinical Performance Examination (CPX), they filled out the questionnaire composed of 15 questions. In addition, it was required to rank the preferences for clinical training items and describe what was good about, things that need to be improved or corrected, and other areas to be implemented as a part of the clinical training. Results 1. Mean of the total satisfaction score was 4.26. Mean satisfaction score of the educational method was 4.25, and mean score of the utility of educational effectiveness was 4.27. 2. Among the questions that evaluate satisfaction of the education program, 'I agree with OSCE as a part of the clinical training for juniors.' showed the highest score. Among the questions that evaluate utility of educational effectiveness, 'It will be helpful to treat patients as a Korean Medicine doctor in the future' showed the highest score. On the other hand, 'I actively participated in the clinical training' showed the lowest score. Conclusions A clinical training in Pediatrics of Korean Medicine can be highly valued from the viewpoint of the satisfaction and its utility.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.363-375
• /
• 2022

Galactosemia is a rare, hereditary metabolic disorder caused by the accumulation of galactose and its metabolites in the body due to a lack of enzymes that convert galactose to glucose. This study aimed to investigate the dietary behaviors and nutritional statuses of patients with galactosemia and to provide basic information on the development of nutrition education programs to improve quality of dietary life. A survey was conducted on 13 parents of (<11 years of age) children with galactosemia and 26 parents of (<11 years of age) children without galactosemia. Mean body mass index was greater for school-age children with galactosemia (18.77 kg/m²) than for corresponding normal children (16.55 kg/m²). Underweight and obesity rates of children with galactosemia were greater than those of children without galactosemia. In addition, children with galactosemia had a higher food neophobia rate and thus consumed less food. Normal children exhibited a greater range of food preferences than those with galactosemia, especially for milk and dairy products (p= .001) and fats and sweets (p= .04). Reliable food databases and appropriate dietary recommendations are required to ensure the proper growth of children with galactosemia.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
• /
• v.44 no.1
• /
• pp.28-35
• /
• 2014

Objective: To determine Korean facial profile preferences based on lip position as assessed by Hispanic-Americans of varying western adaptation levels and to determine whether the age and sex of the rater had any influence. Methods: For this study, 132 Hispanic-Americans and 68 Caucasians of varying age, sex and western adaptation levels volunteered to rate their preference of Korean male and female facial silhouettes having lips ranging from retruding to protruding. The Hispanic-Americans were also asked to complete a Bidimensional Acculturation Scale questionnaire to determine their western adaptation status: low-acculturated Hispanics (LAH; lesser western-adapted Hispanic participants) or high-acculturated Hispanics (HAH; higher western-adapted Hispanic participants). Results: The LAHs preferred significantly more retruded lip positions (p < 0.05) while HAHs showed some similarities with Caucasian participants in the results for the Korean male profile, even though HAHs preferred more retruded lip positions for the Korean female profile than Caucasians did (p < 0.05). The age and sex of raters did not influence the preference of facial profiles (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that Hispanic-Americans prefer a flatter Korean lip profile. It would be prudent for orthodontists to offer patients the option of altering lip profile through orthodontic and/or orthognathic surgery treatments.

• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.47.1-47.12
• /
• 2021

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is one of the few human oncogenic viruses, which causes a variety of malignancies, including Kaposi's sarcoma, multicentric Castleman disease, and primary effusion lymphoma, particularly in human immunodeficiency virus patients. The currently available treatment options cannot always prevent the invasion and dissemination of this virus. In recent times, siRNA-based therapeutics are gaining prominence over conventional medications as siRNA can be designed to target almost any gene of interest. The ORF57 is a crucial regulatory protein for lytic gene expression of KSHV. Disruption of this gene translation will inevitably inhibit the replication of the virus in the host cell. Therefore, the ORF57 of KSHV could be a potential target for designing siRNA-based therapeutics. Considering both sequence preferences and target site accessibility, several online tools (i-SCORE Designer, Sfold web server) had been utilized to predict the siRNA guide strand against the ORF57. Subsequently, off-target filtration (BLAST), conservancy test (fuzznuc), and thermodynamics analysis (RNAcofold, RNAalifold, and RNA Structure web server) were also performed to select the most suitable siRNA sequences. Finally, two siRNAs were identified that passed all of the filtration phases and fulfilled the thermodynamic criteria. We hope that the siRNAs predicted in this study would be helpful for the development of new effective therapeutics against KSHV.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.104-113
• /
• 2015

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze physical activity as measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and an actigraph in breast cancer survivors, as well as to identify their intention to participate in a physical activity program. Methods: Breast cancer patients who had been diagnosed for more than six months (N=135) at a university hospital participated from June 2012 to May 2013. Physical activity was measured using the Korean version of the IPAQ-Short Form and Actigraph GT3X plus an accelerator for seven consecutive days. Data analyses were conducted using the SPSS WIN 19.0 program. Results: Mean total physical activity was 2298.21 metabolic equivalent task (MET)-min/week as assessed by IPAQ and 150,140.57 counts/day as measured by an actigraph. There were statistically significant correlations between moderate physical activity from IPAQ and light intensity of physical activity from the actigraph (r=.735, p<.001), vigorous physical activity from IPAQ and vigorous intensity of physical activity from the actigraph (r=.871, p<.001), total physical activity from IPAQ and light intensity of physical activity from the actigraph (r=.825, p<.001), respectively. Most (80.7%) cancer survivors reported a positive attitude toward physical activity and 57.8% expressed a willingness to participate in a physical activity program. More than half (60%) of the subjects preferred walking, 80.6% preferred more than 30 minutes of exercise, and 57.1% wanted to engage in physical activity three times a week and preferred home-based activities. Perceived barriers included fatigue, lack of strength and pain. Conclusion: It is necessary to consider intensity, personal preferences, and patient-perceived barriers when developing physical activity programs for breast cancer survivors.