PURPOSE: This study was conducted to develop an Empowerment Education Program (EEP) for kidney transplant patients and to test the program's effects on uncertainty, self-care ability, and compliance. METHODS: The research was conducted using a nonequivalent control group with a pretest-posttest design. The participants were 53 outpatients (experimental group: 25, control group: 28) who were receiving hospital treatment after kidney transplants. After the pre-test, patients in the experimental group underwent a weekly EEP for six weeks. The post-test was conducted immediately after, and four weeks after the program's completion in the same manner as the pre-test. For the control group, we conducted a post-test six and ten weeks after the pre-test, without and program intervention. A repeated measure ANOVA was performed to compare the change scores on main outcomes. RESULTS: Uncertainty was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group, both immediately after (t=-3.84, p=<.001) and 4 weeks after (t=-4.51 p=<.001) the program, whereas self-care ability (t=5.81, p=<.001), (t=5.84, p=<.001) and compliance (t=5.07, p=<.001), (t=5.45, p=<.001) were significantly higher. CONCLUSION: Kidney transplant patients who underwent an EEP showed a decrease in uncertainty and an improvement in self-care ability and compliance. Thus, our findings confirmed that an EEP can be an independent intervention method for improving and maintaining the health of kidney transplant patients.
Compliance ; Education* ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation* ; Kidney* ; Methods ; Outpatients ; Patient Compliance ; Power (Psychology)* ; Self Care ; Uncertainty

PURPOSE: Pelvic floor muscle exercise, biofeedback and electrical stimulation have been known as initial treatment options for women with stress urinary incontinence. We evaluated the clinical outcome of pelvic floor muscle exercise in combination with biofeedback and electrical stimulation as a treatment for stress urinary incontinence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty three patients with stress urinary incontinence who had been treated with biofeedback and electrical stimulation from June 1999 to March 2000 were analyzed. Patients were evaluated with their medical history, physical examination, SEAPI score, and urodynamic study including Valsalva leak point pressure(VLPP). All patients were assessed for the outcome of the procedure with subjective satisfaction by scores of SEAPI classification and the relative strength of pelvic floor muscle by maximal vaginal pressure and contraction time. RESULTS: Among 23 women followed up for 6 month to 1 year, urinary incontinence completely disappeared in 6 patients(26.1%), significantly improved in 13(56.5%) and not improved in 4(17.4%). There was a significant increase in maximal vaginal pressure, contraction time and decrease in the scores of SEAPI classification. CONLUSIONS: Pelvic floor muscle exercise in combination with biofeedback and electrical stimulation is a simple, safe, and effective treatment of stress urinary incontinence. The patient compliance is closely related to the success rate.
Biofeedback, Psychology* ; Classification ; Electric Stimulation ; Female ; Humans ; Patient Compliance ; Pelvic Floor* ; Physical Examination ; Urinary Incontinence* ; Urodynamics

PURPOSE: This study was designed to examine the effect of asthma management education program applied to allergic asthma patients receiving immunotherapy due to house dust mite on their stress and compliance with health care regimens. METHODS: A quasi experimental design with non-equivalent control group and non-synchronized design was used. The subjects of this study were 61 patients who were receiving immunotherapy at intervals of a week after their symptoms were diagnosed as house dust mite allergic asthma at the pulmonary department of a university hospital in Seoul. They were divided into an experimental group of 29 patients who received asthma management education and a control group of 32 patients. The asthma management education program was composed of group education (once) and reinforcement education (three times) with environmental therapy and immunotherapy to house dust mite. RESULTS: Stress significantly decreased in the experimental group compared to that in the control group. Compliance with health care regimens significantly increased in the experimental group compared to that in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that the asthma management education program is effective for the management of stress and the improvement of compliance in patients with allergic asthma to house dust mite.
Stress, Psychological/etiology/*prevention & control ; Pyroglyphidae/*immunology ; *Patient Education ; *Patient Compliance ; Male ; Korea ; Humans ; Female ; Asthma/etiology/psychology/*therapy ; Adult

PURPOSE: This cross-sectional survey was conducted to described the compliance of Breast Self-Examination of middle-aged women using a convenient sample, and to examine relationships between the compliance of BSE and Health Beliefs, and the influencing factors on the compliance of BSE. METHODS: The subjects were 373 literate volunteers who were from 41 to 60 years of age who visited 6 public health centers. From June 7, 2004 to August 20, 2004, data were collected by 5 research assistants using a self-report questionnaire. The questionnaire was used to obtain information on the general characteristics, knowledge, health beliefs, and compliance of BSE. RESULTS: The findings of this study suggested that there were significant differences in the scores of the perceived susceptibility and severity between compliers and non-compliers of the BSE. BSE compliance was significantly correlated with knowledge, perceived susceptibility, and perceived severity. The most powerful predictor of BSE compliance was the perceived susceptibility. The perceived susceptibility, the perceived severity, the knowledge and educational level accounted for 41.8% of the variance in middle aged women's BSE compliance. CONCLUSION: Increase in knowledge about breast cancer, with a concomitant increase in both perceived susceptibility and perceived severity could produce a subtle cue or motivating force sufficient to affect a behavior change. Further research is needed to examine the qualitative difference between BSE and other early detection behaviors.
Patient Compliance/*psychology ; Middle Aged ; Korea ; Humans ; *Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Female ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Breast Self-Examination/*psychology ; Adult

Objective: To investigate the benefits of nursing care service in the assisted reproduction clinic to self-cycle-management and self-efficiency of the outpatients with infertility. METHODS: We randomly divided 600 females preliminarily diagnosed with infertility into a control and an experimental group, 288 in the former and 285 in the latter group excluding those whose husbands had azoospermia. For the women patients of the experimental group, we conducted nursing care intervention concerning related knowledge, skills, diet, excise, medication, and psychology, by one-to-one consultation, individualized or group communication, establishing files, telephone follow-up, and wechat guidance. After 3 months of intervention, we compared the compliance of medical visits, effectiveness of cycle management, sense of self-efficiency, satisfaction, and anxiety score between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: In comparison with the controls, the patients of the experimental group showed significantly better knowledge about assisted reproduction and higher effectiveness of self-cycle-management, self-efficiency, and satisfaction (P <0.05), but a markedly lower degree of anxiety (P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS Nursing care service in the assisted reproduction clinic can improve the compliance of medical visits, effectiveness of self-cycle-management, self-efficiency, and satisfaction and reduce the anxiety of the patients.
Anxiety ; prevention & control ; Diet ; Exercise ; Female ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Infertility ; nursing ; psychology ; Menstrual Cycle ; Patient Compliance ; Patient Satisfaction ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted ; psychology ; Self Efficacy

OBJECTIVETo identify the direct causes of drug relapse and abstainers' demand, and to develop programs for the prevention of drug relapse.

METHODSAbstainers in a Compulsive Detoxification Center in Wuhan City, capital of Hubei Province were randomly selected. An investigation on the direct causes of drug relapse and abstainers' demands was conducted with multiple-choice questionnaires and face to face interviews. Data were analyzed with SPSS 12.0.

RESULTSThe direct causes leading to drug relapse included: temptation to use drug again by themselves or by their drug mates, seeking pleasure and ecstasy from drug use, relatively well off living, mental stress, irritation, demoralization, family conflicts, unemployment, feeling distrusted by the family, lack of care and love from the family, and discrimination by others. abstainers' demands after detoxification and returning to the society included: care and support from the family, employment assistance, changing living environment, understanding by others, support from the society, and keeping far away from drugs.

CONCLUSIONSEnvironmental factors are the direct causes of drug relapse, and negative irritation is its predisposing causes. Leaving former residence, more care and help given by both the family and the society and raising their overall quality of life are the demands of abstainers.

Adult ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Patient Compliance ; Recurrence ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Substance-Related Disorders ; psychology ; rehabilitation ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Traumatic injuries of the face often involve root fractures especially in anterior teeth. The prognosis and the treatment of the root fracture depend on the extent of the fracture line, general health and patient compliance. This case report outlines a new conservative trial treatment modality to stabilize the maxillary central incisors with horizontal root fracture on the cervical to middle third by fabricating canine guidance to remove loading on the traumatized maxillary central incisors during eccentric movements and thus inducing spontaneous healing of the fractured line between the fragments. Radiographs after thirty months showed adequate healing with no signs of pathological changes including root resorption, ankylosis or displacement. Long term follow-up revealed that vitality, stability and aesthetics were maintained and the patient was satisfied with the outcome.
Ankylosis ; Dental Occlusion ; Displacement (Psychology) ; Esthetics ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incisor ; Patient Compliance ; Prognosis ; Root Resorption ; Tooth

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to assess patient attitudes towards anti-glaucoma medication and their association with adherence, visual quality of life, and personality traits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and forty-seven glaucoma patients were enrolled this study. The participants were divided into 'pharmacophobic' and 'pharmacophilic' groups according to their scores on the Modified Glaucoma Drug Attitude Inventory (MG-DAI). To establish a correlation with patient drug attitude, each group had their subjective drug adherence, visual quality of life, and personality traits examined. For personality traits, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was used to sub-classify each group. RESULTS: Among the patients analyzed, 91 (72.80%) patients showed a 'pharmacophobic' attitude and 34 (27.20%) patients showed a 'pharmacophilic' attitude. The pharmacophobic group tended to have worse adherence than the pharmacophilic group. Personality dichotomies from the MBTI also showed different patterns for each group. CONCLUSION: In glaucoma patients, pharmacological adherence was influenced by their attitude towards drugs; an association might exist between drug attitude and underlying personality traits.
Adult ; Aged ; Attitude ; Female ; Glaucoma/*drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Patient Compliance/*psychology ; Personality Inventory ; Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Compliance from kidney transplant recipients might improve with less frequent doses of immunosuppressant drugs. We describe the development of an extended-release formulation of tacrolimus that enables taking the drug just once a day, instead of the current twice a day tacrolimus formulation. METHODS: We performed a prospective, open-label, 1:1 randomized, and multicenter study. Patients received Prograf(R) (Astellas Inc.) twice a day for 1 month post-transplantation. The patients of the investigational group converted to a dose of Advagraf(R) (Astellas Inc.) given once a day. We evaluated the efficacy, safety, and patient satisfaction of both groups. RESULTS: Within 5 months after conversion to Advagraf, the incidence of biopsy-confirmed acute rejection was 0%, while patient and graft survival was 100%. We could not find differences of the patients' estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) between the Prograf and Advagraf treated groups 1~6 months post-transplantation. The safety profile and satisfaction profiles (immunosuppressant therapy barrier scale) were also equivalent between the treated groups. CONCLUSIONS: The preliminary results of this study support the safety, efficacy, and patient satisfaction from a single daily formulation of tacrolimus (Advagraf(R)).
Compliance ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Graft Survival ; Humans ; Immunosuppression ; Incidence ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation ; Patient Satisfaction ; Prospective Studies ; Rejection (Psychology) ; Tacrolimus

BACKGROUNDThe present study was aimed to investigate the usage of aspirin for the secondary prevention of ischemic stroke, evaluate the correlated factors, and analyze the reasons for not taking and irregularly taking aspirin.

METHODSThe patients in this group were all stroke survivors who have formerly been diagnosed with a cerebral infarction or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in our hospital. We investigated their use of aspirin over a three-year period following their hospitalization. According to the patients' aspirin usage, they were divided into treatment and non-treatment groups. In addition, the reasons for not taking or irregularly taking aspirin were analyzed in the two groups.

RESULTSA total of 1240 patients were studied, including 367 (29.60%) in the treatment group and 873 (70.40%) cases in the non-treatment group. In addition, 201 (16.20%) cases in the treatment group had been regularly taking aspirin (50 - 325 mg of aspirin daily) for 1 to 3 years or longer. The results demonstrated that the main reasons for not taking aspirin in this study were related to patients' concerns regarding the side effects of taking aspirin (46.45%), as well as the doctors' inadequacy in informing their patients to take aspirin (38.71%). The major reasons for patients to irregularly take aspirin were that the doctors did not notify the length of aspirin usage to their patients (41.57%), and that doctors did not prescribe aspirin upon the patients' follow-up visit (26.51%).

CONCLUSIONThe most effective way to increase patient's compliance for aspirin consumption is to promote the guidelines for stroke treatment and to relay these advances in stroke therapy to the patient.

Aged ; Aspirin ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Patient Compliance ; Retrospective Studies ; Secondary Prevention ; methods ; Stroke ; prevention & control ; psychology