PURPOSE: This is a qualitative study to identify dimensions of long-term care hospital care quality that provide high-level medical services for long-term care patients in Korea. METHODS: Service consumers and providers were interviewed, and collected data were analyzed into thesis, type and dimension. The focus group method was applied to two provider groups and individual interview was applied to two persons who had experienced a long-term care hospital. RESULTS: The results of analyzing the comsumers and providers was integrated into 8 dimensions: physical environment, staff, clinical care and nursing, multiplicity of activity program, atmosphere, interaction with family, nutrition, and quality improvement system. CONCLUSION: The dimensions of long-term care hospital care quality from this study can be used as a basis of quality indicators. Quantitative studies to test these dimensions are required for establishing quality management systems.
Atmosphere ; Focus Groups ; Humans ; Korea ; Long-Term Care* ; Nursing ; Qualitative Research ; Quality Improvement ; Quality Indicators, Health Care

This study investigated elementary, middle, and high school teachers' satisfaction, nutrition education, workload changes, and demands in school foodservice programs (SFPs). The subjects were 630 teachers at 12 elementary, 9 middle, and 9 high school within the nation. Ninety five percent of the teachers felt that there was a necessity for SFPs. Middle school teachers (MTs) and high school teachers (HTs) thought that it was necessary in order to reduce the students'burden of carrying lunch boxes. The teachers were relatively satisfied with their school's foodservice management types, food distribution types, meal quality, and sanitation. Elementary teachers (ETs) and HTs had a higher satisfaction than MTs. Teachers thought that SFPs had positive effects on their students' nutrition and health, enhancing desirable eating habits, and socialization. ETs had more positive opinions than MTs or HTs. ETs and MTs thought that their workload had been increased by SFPs more than HTs, but they had relatively positive opinions on the workload change. ETs taught nutrition and health through SFPs more frequently than MTs or HTs. Many teachers thought that there was a lack of appropriate teaching materials. Some teachers thought that the problems in the present SFPs were: a lack of cafeteria facilities, poor quality of meals, and management of leftovers. Their demands for SFPs were a improvement of meal quality and the establishment of cafeterias. In conclusion, MTs had more negative opinions than ETs or HTs. ETs perceived that SFPs had a function as an important educational activity as well as the supply of nutritional meals. MTs or HTs tended to consider only a meal. It is suggested that teachers, especially MTs and HTs, should modify their attitudes and recognize the educational functions of SFPs. Training programs should be developed under government auspices.
Eating ; Education ; Humans ; Lunch ; Meals ; Sanitation ; Socialization ; Teaching Materials

This study on satisfaction with school food service (FS) programs was conducted with 485 middle school students and 515 high school students based on FS management type. There were four types of FS management: independent-conventional (IC), independent-commissary (ICM), contract-conventional (CC), and contract-delivery (CD). About seventy percent of the students expressed satisfaction with the food quantity of the school lunches. But one third of the students, who felt the quantity was insufficient, cited the small size of the rice serving. Many high school students cited the small size of the side dishes as well as the rice serving. It is suggested that the meal quantity should be determined in consideration of the students' physical development. The satisfaction with FS sanitation was lower than that with the meal quality, eating environment, and environment of dining room with respect to all four types of FS management, and was lowest in the CD. It is suggested that FS sanitation should be managed more thoroughly for the students' safety, and that the school FS Committee should carefully monitor the sanitary management of the contract FS companies by means of a well-designed and monitored management system. Most of middle and high school students expected good taste and a diversity of foods in their school lunches. Food taste should be improved, and various food materials and cooking methods should be used for balanced nutrition and greater student satisfaction, particularly in contract FS types (CC and CD).
Cooking ; Eating ; Food Services* ; Humans ; Lunch ; Meals ; Sanitation

BACKGROUND: Anti-inflammation, anti-bactericidal, and collagen synthesis are important for health skin conditions. However, the effect of horse oil on anti-inflammation, anti-bactericidal, and collagen synthesis is largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-bactericidal, anti-inflammatory, and synthesis of type I collagen of horse oil. METHODS: Anti-bacterial effect was evaluated by disc diffusion test. Expressions of inflammatory cytokines were studied by RT-PCR analysis, real time PCR. Type I collagen expression was evaluated by Western blot in human HaCaT kertinocytes and fibroblasts. RESULTS: Our data showed that horse oil exerted anti-bacterial effect on P.acnes and S.aureus. Expression of IL-10 was increased by horse oil-treated HaCaT cells. In addition, increased expression of type I collagen was observed in horse oil-treated human skin fibroblasts. CONCLUSION: Horse oil exerts an anti-bactericidal effect against P.acnes and S.aureus. In addition, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging effects of horse oil will be mediated by up-regulation of IL-10 and type I collagen, respectively.
Blotting, Western ; Collagen ; Collagen Type I* ; Cytokines* ; Diffusion ; Fibroblasts* ; Horses* ; Humans* ; Interleukin-10 ; Keratinocytes* ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Skin ; Up-Regulation

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The diagnostic performance of shear wave elastography (SWE) combined with ultrasound (US) in the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules was evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 459 articles were collected using KoreaMed, Ovid-MEDLINE, Ovid-EMBASE, and Cochrane Library. The searching words were ‘{(elastography and shear).mp. OR SWE.mp. OR acoustic radiation force impulse.mp. OR ARFI.mp. OR acuson.mp. OR aixplorer.mp.}’. Two authors independently performed article selection and evaluation of the quality of studies with Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network tool. RESULTS: 2582 specimens (thyroid nodules) from 11 studies selected were included in this review. Combined use of US and SWE was reported higher specificity in five literatures, lower specificity in five studies, and no changes in 1 study when compared to US. We performed meta-analysis using data from 10 studies. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of US and SWE group for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant nodules were 0.91 (I2=83.4%), 0.73 (I2=95.9%). The pooled sensitivity and specificity of US alone group were 0.88 (I2=93.2%), 0.71 (I2=92.7%). CONCLUSION: SWE is not effective in the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules to minimize unnecessary biopsy of nodules. The included studies showed significant heterogeneity of results.
Acoustics ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Elasticity Imaging Techniques ; Population Characteristics ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Nodule ; Ultrasonography