BACKGROUND: Mystery shopping is a method in which a company monitors quality of service and employee conduct and compliance with regulations using an evaluator posing as a customer. It is a typical tool of customer-centered bureaucratic control insofar as it provides overall and standardized evaluation of intangible elements of customer service as well as physical elements of service environments. The purpose of this study is to examine how mystery shopping is related to the health status of service workers in South Korea.METHODS: Data from semistructured interviews with 15 workers were collected from January to April 2019 to obtain information on service worker experiences with mystery shopping. Data were analyzed using the constant comparison method.RESULTS: Mystery shopping limits worker autonomy and stiffens the workplace environment by standardizing and monitoring labor processes for service workers. In addition, mystery shopping heightens work stress through increased labor intensity. Five mechanisms by which mystery shopping affects service worker health are identified and comprise (1) multifaceted and multilayered surveillance, (2) evaluator subjectivity and irrational requirements, (3) standardized rules combined with high pressure to achieve sales, (4) self-esteem degradation because of evaluator results, and (5) musculoskeletal disorders because of strict adherence to labor processes based on evaluator results.CONCLUSION: Mystery shopping as an evaluation method should be reconsidered not only in terms of health problems but also in terms of organizational efficiency and issues of human rights.
Commerce ; Compliance ; Efficiency, Organizational ; Human Rights ; Korea ; Methods ; Social Control, Formal

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that influence the consent of case management for suicide prevention. METHODS: This study included 232 suicide attempters from September 1, 2015 to August 31, 2016 at the Emergency Medical Center of Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Korea. A retrospective chart analysis was performed using a chi-square test or Fisher exact test, as well as univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis (R ver. 3.3.3). RESULTS: The positive factors affecting case management consent were direct face-to-face counseling with a case manager, patient's age, suicide attempt without alcohol, first suicide attempt, and no psychiatric history. In addition, suicide attempters who underwent follow-up case management were more likely to participate in outpatient mental health care. Through the case manager, continuous emotional support and encouragement were provided to the suicide attempt, which proved to be effective. CONCLUSION: This study emphasizes the importance of case management for suicide attempters visiting the emergency medical center and suggests that the cooperation of national and regional systems should be expanded to increase the case participation rate.
Case Management* ; Counseling ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Mental Health ; Outpatients ; Retrospective Studies ; Suicide* ; Suicide, Attempted

PURPOSE: Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are highly expressed during stress responses and cellular adaptation to environmental changes. One such protein is HSP27, a 27kDa protein that prevents cell death induced by many pro-apoptotic agents. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between HSP27 expression and apoptosis induced by doxazosin treatment in prostate cancer cell line PC-3. MATERIALS AND METHODS: RT-PCR, Western blotting, and immunocytochemical staining were performed to determine whether HSP27 mRNA and protein are expressed in PC-3 cells. Next, to investigate the effects of doxazosin on apoptosis and HSP27 protein expression in PC-3 cells, the cells were stained using a TUNEL kit (to detect apoptotic cells) and with HSP27 antibody (to assess HSP27 protein expression) 6, 12, 24, and 48h after treatment with 25microM doxazosin. In addition, to determine whether HSP27 mRNA interference accelerates doxazosin-induced apoptosis of PC-3, we knocked down HSP27 with siRNA and then evaluated the rate of apoptosis after doxazosin treatment. RESULTS: HSP27 mRNA and protein were expressed in PC-3 cells. Furthermore, HSP27 mRNA and protein levels increased until 12 hours after 25microM doxazosin treatment, whereas the rate of apoptosis did not increased dramatically. After 12 hours, HSP27 expression decreased and then apoptosis was accelerated. In addition, siRNA-mediated knockdown of HSP27 induce higher apoptosis rate of PC-3 cells even before 12hrs after doxazosin treatment. CONCLUSIONS: By inhibiting apoptosis, HSP27 expression might play an important role in inhibiting progression to castration-refractory prostate cancer and resistance to anti-cancer treatment.
Apoptosis* ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Death ; Cell Line* ; Doxazosin ; Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Hot Temperature* ; HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins* ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; RNA, Messenger ; RNA, Small Interfering

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics and factors of voluntary discharged patients after suicide attempt and analyze the effectiveness of follow-up measures. METHODS: Total 504 adult patients aged 14 years and over, who visited a local emergency medical center from September 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015 were enrolled and retrospectively reviewed. We analyzed the relationship with voluntary discharge group (VDG) among basic characteristics, suicidal attempt variables, outcome variables related to suicide attempts, and treatment related variables comparing with normal discharge group (NDG). RESULTS: Of the total 504 suicide attempts, three hundred eleven (61.7%) patients were VDG and 193 (38.2%) were NDG. The proportion of patients who completed the community service linkage were 18.7% (36/193) in NDG, compared with 7.7% (24/311) in VDG (p < 0.05). In addition, the ratio of the patients who visited psychiatric outpatient department in NDG were 57.0% (110/193), more than four times as likely as 14.5% (45/311) in VDG (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Over sixty percent of suicide attempters discharged against medical advice. Further various aspects of national supportive measures including strengthening case management service should be considered.
Adult ; Case Management ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Linear Energy Transfer* ; Outpatients ; Retrospective Studies ; Social Welfare ; Suicide ; Suicide, Attempted*