BACKGROUND: When one of family members must be treated, the others are required to get various forms of changes including modification of their proper roles in the family. Particularily when he or she can not perform his or her activities of daily living(ADL) owing to functional impairment by himself or herself, there seems to be greater dependence upon his or her family. Accordingly, we tried to give help in the treatment of patients through the comparative analysis concerning functional impairment in both groups on the assumption that there is difference of family function between two family groups which have a patient in family, or not. METHODS: This study was carried out to 83 inpatients in Sun Hospital in Dae Jeon and local rehabilitation clinics in Iksan from 1. July. 1995 to 31. Jun. 1996. We evaluated activites of daily living by using modified Barthel Index(MBI) and classified them into dependent group with 60 points or less(6roup I ), and independent group with more than 60 points(Group II). We also used Family APGAR score and FACES III to evaluate their family functions. RESULTS: MBI scores to evaluate ADL were 42.9+/-15.6 in Group I and 82.1+/-17.9 in Group II. Family APGAR scores were 6.93+/-2.52 in Group I and 7.24+/-17.9 in Group II but there was no significance between two groups. Types of family according to Family APGAR score were highly functional, morderate dysfunctional, and severly dysfunctional one in order of frequency in both groups, but there was no significance in their frequencies in both groups. Types of Family in view of cohesion was disengaged, separated, connected, and enmeshed one in order of frequency in Group I, and separated, disengaged, connected, and enmeshed one in order of frequency in Group II but there was no significance between two groups. Types of family in view of adaptability were rigid, chaotic structured,and flexible one in order of frequency in Group I, and were flexible, structured, rigid, and chaotic one in orders in Group II, which showed significance between two groups. Extremal types of family structure were large in numbers in Group I, but it didnt show significance. CONCLUSIONS: Assuming that there were large numbers of rigid and chaotic family in Group I, it is considered that tne family which has a patient with severely impaired function seems to have weaker adaptability to their family stresses than otherwise. Therefore, it is desirable that physicians who take charge of such patients provide continuous and comprehensive medical care for them including their family with greater concerns and through analysis and assessment of their family functions.
Activities of Daily Living ; Apgar Score ; Daejeon ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Jeollabuk-do ; Rehabilitation* ; Solar System

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to know the prevalence of cognitive disorders in patients with thyroid cancer, and identify related variables to them. METHODS: Subjects were consisted of fourty-two patients with thyroid cancer, who were admitted for radioiodine ablative therapy at 6-12 months after total thyroidectomy. The data were obtained from interviews about history and assessments of depression and cognitive function(Korean Version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA-K). RESULTS: 1) Among subjects, those with below 22 of total score of the MoCA-K were twenty-one(50.0%). 2) Upon age, education, Pre-radioiodine therapy thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH), there were statistically significant difference between subgroup with above 23 of the total MoCA-K score and those below 22. 3) The total scores of the MoCA-K in subjects had significant correlation with age, education, comorbidity, Pre-radioiodine therapy TSH, total score of the HDRS-17. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive disorders were more prevalent among patients with thyroid cancer before radioiodine therapy. Therefore, further study should be needed to clarify the mechanism for the cognitive disorders in thyroid cancer. Furthermore, physicians should pay attention to the cognitive function and prepare preventative measures for cognitive disorder during management of thyroid cancer.
Carcinoma, Papillary* ; Comorbidity ; Depression ; Education ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroidectomy ; Thyrotropin

No abstract available.
Hyperplasia*

In order to investigate the occurrence characteristics of cancer in terms of industry in Kwangju-Chonnam area, medical utilization records of industrial medical insurance corporations during the period of 1987 to 1988 were reviewed for the identification of neoplastic disease. The cases obtained from the medical records were followed up for the verification and to get additional information. Standardized incidence data were compared by occupational characteristics. Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to analyze the difference of incidence or distribution of cancer as a whole or of some selected cancer. Total cases of cancer identified were 242 during the study period. Annual incidence rate was calculated as 123.1 per 100,000 person. The frequent types of cancer were cancers of stomach, liver, lung, colon and rectum, bladder and lymphoma in descending order. Employees of mine and other sand handling industries showed significantly higher risks for cancer of stomach and cancer as a whole. Employees of the transportation industry showed the higher risk for cancer of liver. Workers in small-sized industry (< or = 100) had a higher risk for cancer than who in large-sized industry (>100). These findings suggested the effect of occupational environmental exposure to cancer development.
Colon ; Environmental Exposure ; Humans ; Incidence ; Insurance* ; Liver ; Liver Neoplasms ; Logistic Models ; Lung ; Lymphoma ; Medical Records ; Occupations ; Rectum ; Silicon Dioxide ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Transportation ; Urinary Bladder

The goal of cleft lip surgery is to reconstruct normal shape of the lip. To acomplish this goal, various operative method were contrived and concept of the method decided the shape of reconstructed lips. According to the operative result, some operative methods were disappeared or have been developed with a little modifiation. Traditional Millard's rotation-advancement method for unilateral cleft lip patients is largely accepted and developed as proper method for acquiring these functional and anatomic purposes. As a trial for this development, Mulliken add some modifications. He uses exaggerated high rotation incision and it lengthens into midcolumella without backcut. Also he dosen't steal from alar base or lateral lip for vertical height. C-flap is used to lengthen the affected columella and upper lip. The isolated orbicularis oris muscle is coaptated each other for more functional result. With supraperichondral dissection of alar cartilage and transpositioning of caudal septum, he performs synchronous repair of cleft lips, nose and sometimes alveolus. It is still debated when is most suitable age for surgical correction of nasal deformity of cleft lip patients. Done at the time of primary lip repair, there are both some apprehension and inducement. The former are based on technical difficulties due to shortage and fragility of neonatal tissue and possibility of progressive deformities with growing because of iatrogenic injuries to the alar cartilages. But te latter is rationalized because early reposition of deformed nasal cartilage in proper position would induce more natural growth of nasal structures. Some long-term follow up reports reveal the early operation innocent of any growth deterioration. Mulliken treats his cleft lip patient for separated lip and nasal deformities with single operation, and does gingiovoperiosteal alveoloplasty at the same time if necessary. He uses Latham appliance from 4 to 6 week after birth in case of severly collapsed lateral alveolar segment or wide alvolar gap, and perform the definitive opertation at the age of 4 to 6 months. I use lip adhension method to correct more than 10 mm alveolar gap without severe collapse of lateral alveolar segment, but if lateral segment was severely collapsed and away from alvolar arch, I apply the Latham appliance somewhat modificate from original type, which has a metal ring fastened at the front limb of appliance for rubber banding to coaptate easily. I have experienced repair of cleft lip by Mulliken's concept with some modification of my own to 44 cases of unilateral cleft lip patients and conclude that it was very flexible method. Doing with synchonous repair of cleft lip nose, we could get harmonious lip and nose with symmetric nostril sill, cupid's bow and red line. Columella was lengthened primarily. Normal growth of nose was anticipated by anatomic repositioning of alar septal cartilage.
Alveoloplasty ; Cartilage ; Cleft Lip* ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Extremities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lip ; Nasal Cartilages ; Nose ; Parturition ; Rubber

The final degrees of education for the third and fourth authors were mutually misplaced.

The Korean Medical Association (KMA) must strengthen its political ability in order to respond appropriately to the changing medical environment. Further, this strengthening is necessary to establish the status of the KMA as an expert group for protecting members’ rights.Current Concepts: The KMA has been evaluated to have unsatisfactory performance because of a lack of internal and external political ability, negative social perception of medical associations, and insufficient regulations on the purpose and role of the organization.Discussion and Conclusion: The following are suggested to overcome this situation: First, as an expert group, the KMA must strengthen its ability to develop policy agendas that can lead to health and medical policy issues and establish action strategies. Second, it is necessary to pursue an appropriate balance between public interest and the association’s own interests. Third, efforts to secure the autonomy of the KMA should be continued. Fourth, active support is needed to produce doctors-turned-members of the National Assembly. Fifth, it is necessary to prepare a support system to strengthen political power. Sixth, internal solidarity must be strengthened so that the KMA can be positioned as an indispensable institution among its members. Seventh, it is necessary to induce a change in the social perception of the KMA by strengthening public activities. Eighth, the association’s solidarity with the media, civic groups, and health and medical organizations should be strengthened.

The quality of medical services and the health of patients can be guaranteed when the doctors are healthy. In this study, we used the data from the 2016 Korean Physician Survey and analyzed the relationship of lifestyle, stress, and chronic diseases status with the self-rated health of Korean doctors. Among 7,631 doctors in Korea, 2,336 (30.6%) reported their self-rated health as ‘good’, 4,462 (58.5%) as ‘moderate’, and 833 (10.9%) as ‘bad’. The multinominal logistic regression analysis, showed that factors related to the self-rated health were age, type of healthcare facility, smoking, exercise, sleep duration, stress, and chronic diseases status. Since doctors’ lifestyle, stress, and chronic disease status were closely related to their self-rated health, it is imperative to prepare measures to protect doctors’ health in an intensive medical environment, where too many patients require treatment, due to the characteristics of the medical system in Korea.

A pilot project for telemedicine has been underway since June 2023. However, ongoing issues have persisted since its implementation. This study aimed to review the current status and challenges of this project and recommend necessary improvements.Current Concepts: The following challenges were observed. First, the primary and incidental effects of this pilot project were not presented. It is not a small-scale project as it targets the entire population without a strict predesign. Its evaluation must have a defined implementation period. Currently, an indefinite implementation period has been proposed until the medical law is revised. Second, safety measures were found to be inadequate. Lastly, from an industrial standpoint, the government unilaterally promoted telemedicine policies.Discussion and Conclusion: Enhancements should be implemented in this telemedicine pilot project to ensure safety. First, the project objectives were clearly defined. Clear policy effects and evaluation criteria should be presented, and the project should be implemented through a rigorous policy design to verify them. Second, policy measures should be established to ensure safety. Lastly, administrative and legal improvements related to telemedicine should be implemented simultaneously.

South Korea’s public health doctor system requires physicians to provide primary healthcare in medically underserved areas, such as rural regions, as an alternative to mandatory military service. Recently, concerns have arisen over the decline in the number of public health doctors available in these underserved areas. This study reviews issues related to the public health doctor system and proposes strategies for enhancing its management.Current Concepts: The annual number of public health doctors has steadily decreased by approximately 46.6%, from 1,962 in 2008 to 1,048 in 2022. According to the survey, the reasons behind this decline include the lengthy service period of 36 months compared to the 18-month military service, poor working conditions, low financial support, unreasonable manpower deployment, and uncertain social status.Discussion and Conclusion: Several recommendations can enhance the effectiveness of the public health doctor system. First, the mandatory service period of 36 months should be shortened, and a military training period of 1–2 months should be incorporated into the overall service duration. Second, ensuring appropriate working hours, including holidays, along with improved working conditions and reasonable financial support and compensation, is essential. Third, the role of public health doctors should shift from solely providing basic primary healthcare to acting as public health managers in local communities. Lastly, a long-term plan should be developed to establish various types of medical institutions in medically underserved regions.