Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in South Korea, imposing substantial physical, emotional, and financial burdens on patients and society. Despite the high burden of symptom and complex care needs of HF patients, palliative care and hospice services remain underutilized in South Korea due to cultural, institutional, and knowledge-related barriers. This position statement from the Korean Society of Heart Failure emphasizes the need for integrating palliative and hospice care into HF management to improve quality of life and support holistic care for patients and their families. By clarifying the role of palliative care in HF and proposing practical referral criteria, this position statement aims to bridge the gap between HF and palliative care services in South Korea, ultimately improving patient-centered outcomes and aligning treatment with the goals and values of HF patients.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a short-form measurement scale specifically designed to evaluate the core competencies of nursing care for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, with a particular focus on the administration of anticancer agents. Methods: Data were collected from November 6 to November 29, 2023, with a total of 192 oncology nurses participating. Data were collected using an online survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, reliability and validity with the SPSS/WIN statistic version 25.0 and Amos version 26.0 program. Results: Statistical validation and expert validation were conducted to finalize the three-factor (chemotherapy administration, education and management of chemotherapy-related adverse events, assessment and regimen verification), 23-item instrument. These three factors collectively explained 72.37% of the total variance. On the overall scale,Cronbach's α was .96. Conclusion The short-form Core Competencies Scale of Nursing Care (CCSC) developed through this study is a measurement tool with proven reliability and validity and can be used for education and evaluation to improve the work of nurses involved in chemotherapy. By focusing on the essential competencies required for chemotherapy administration, the tool offers a practical, efficient, and reliable means of evaluating nursing performance in this critical area.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a short-form measurement scale specifically designed to evaluate the core competencies of nursing care for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, with a particular focus on the administration of anticancer agents. Methods: Data were collected from November 6 to November 29, 2023, with a total of 192 oncology nurses participating. Data were collected using an online survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, reliability and validity with the SPSS/WIN statistic version 25.0 and Amos version 26.0 program. Results: Statistical validation and expert validation were conducted to finalize the three-factor (chemotherapy administration, education and management of chemotherapy-related adverse events, assessment and regimen verification), 23-item instrument. These three factors collectively explained 72.37% of the total variance. On the overall scale,Cronbach's α was .96. Conclusion The short-form Core Competencies Scale of Nursing Care (CCSC) developed through this study is a measurement tool with proven reliability and validity and can be used for education and evaluation to improve the work of nurses involved in chemotherapy. By focusing on the essential competencies required for chemotherapy administration, the tool offers a practical, efficient, and reliable means of evaluating nursing performance in this critical area.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a short-form measurement scale specifically designed to evaluate the core competencies of nursing care for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, with a particular focus on the administration of anticancer agents. Methods: Data were collected from November 6 to November 29, 2023, with a total of 192 oncology nurses participating. Data were collected using an online survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, reliability and validity with the SPSS/WIN statistic version 25.0 and Amos version 26.0 program. Results: Statistical validation and expert validation were conducted to finalize the three-factor (chemotherapy administration, education and management of chemotherapy-related adverse events, assessment and regimen verification), 23-item instrument. These three factors collectively explained 72.37% of the total variance. On the overall scale,Cronbach's α was .96. Conclusion The short-form Core Competencies Scale of Nursing Care (CCSC) developed through this study is a measurement tool with proven reliability and validity and can be used for education and evaluation to improve the work of nurses involved in chemotherapy. By focusing on the essential competencies required for chemotherapy administration, the tool offers a practical, efficient, and reliable means of evaluating nursing performance in this critical area.

This manuscript represents the official position of the Korean Society of Echocardiography on valvular heart diseases.This position paper focuses on the diagnosis and management of valvular heart diseases with referring to the guide‑ lines recently published by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and the European Society of Cardiology. The committee sought to reflect national data on the topic of valvular heart diseases published to date through a systematic literature search based on validity and relevance. In the part II of this article, we intend to pre‑ sent recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of mitral valve disease and tricuspid valve disease.

Purpose: This study investigated the incidence and risk factors of cataract in people with diabetes mellitus (DM) using data from Ansan cohort of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES). Methods: Data from a total of 329 patients with type 2 DM without cataract who participated in Ansan cohort of the KoGES from baseline survey (2001–2002) to fifth follow-up visit (2011–2012) were examined.The characteristics of the subjects were analyzed with frequency and percentage, and mean and standard deviation. Cataract incidence was measured as incidence proportion (%). For risk factors of cataract, hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were obtained using the Cox proportional hazard model. Results: The cataract incidence over a 10-year follow-up period was 19.1% (15.1 in males and 25.8 in females), and mean age at the incidence of cataract was 63.48 years (61.58 years in males and 65.31 years in females). Age (HR=1.09, 95% CI=1.05–1.13) and HbA1c (HR=1.21, 95% CI=1.07–1.37) or the duration of DM (HR=1.05, 95% CI=1.00–1.09) were found to be independently associated with cataract development. Conclusion Cataract development in people with DM is common, and its likelihood increases with age, HbA1c, and the duration of DM. Considering negative effect of cataract on their quality of life and economic burden, nurses should identify people with DM at a higher risk of cataract development, and plan individual eye examination programs to detect cataract development as early as possible.

BACKGROUND: AND PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic performance and safety of a new ¹⁸F-labeled amyloid tracer, ¹⁸F-FC119S. METHODS: This study prospectively recruited 105 participants, comprising 53 with Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, 16 patients with dementia other than AD (non-AD), and 36 healthy controls (HCs). In the first screening visit, the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery cognitive function test was given to the dementia group, while HC subjects completed the Korean version of the Mini Mental State Examination. Individuals underwent ¹⁸F-FC119S PET, ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET, and brain MRI. The diagnostic performance of ¹⁸F-FC119S PET for AD was compared to a historical control (comprising previously reported and currently used amyloid-beta PET agents), ¹⁸F-FDG PET, and MRI. The standardized uptake value (SUV) ratio (ratio of the cerebral cortical SUV to the cerebellar SUV) was measured for each PET data set to provide semiquantitative analysis. All adverse effects during the clinical trial periods were monitored. RESULTS: Visual assessments of the ¹⁸F-FC119S PET data revealed a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 84% in detecting AD. ¹⁸F-FC119S PET demonstrated equivalent or better diagnostic performance for AD detection than the historical control, ¹⁸F-FDG PET (sensitivity of 80.0% and specificity of 76.0%), and MRI (sensitivity of 98.0% and specificity of 50.0%). The SUV ratios differed significantly between AD patients and the other groups, at 1.44±0.17 (mean±SD) for AD, 1.24±0.09 for non-AD, and 1.21±0.08 for HC. No clinically significant adverse effects occurred during the trial periods. CONCLUSIONS ¹⁸F-FC119S PET provides high sensitivity and specificity in detecting AD and therefore may be considered a useful diagnostic tool for AD.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a bedside nursing shift report protocol and evaluate the effect of the protocol in a tertiary hospital in South Korea. Methods: The bedside nursing handoff protocol with patient engagement was developed based on the literature review and the validation of an expert group. The effect of the protocol on clinical implication was tested in three medical-surgical units in a tertiary hospital. Outcomes were assessed by patient perception, nurse perception, and reporting time. Data collected from June to August in 2018 and analyzed with descriptive statistics and One-way ANOVA using SPSS version 25.0. Results: The bedside nursing shift report protocol with patient engagement consisted of two steps: nurse to nurse report and bedside report with patients. Nurse’s perception with patient engagement was significantly increased after applying protocol (F=17.85, p<.001). Patient’s perception was significantly improved in the areas of discharge plan (F=7.86, p<.001), health information privacy (F=4.46, p=.012) and identify attending nurse (F=3.19, p=.042). There were no differences in reporting time between the bedside nursing shift report and a traditional shift report (F=0.61, p=.054). Conclusion Patient perception was significantly increased, while nurse perception was not different after applying this protocol. For the change in the perception of nurses, education may be preceded to improve nurses' competence for the bedside shift report. Furthermore, the support in enough nurse staffing should be needed for encouraging the bedside shift report. The bedside shift report may enhance patient engagement. Therefore it may improve patient safety and health outcome in clinics.

BACKGROUND: Oral mucositis during radiotherapy which is harmful to the patients with head and neck is suggested to be related to the oral hygiene and health. Therefore, we evaluated the oral health status in relation to the occurrence of mucositis among patients with head and neck cancer during radiotherapy. METHODS: Tooth plaque index (PI), periodontal depth, and oral mucositis in 50 patients with head and neck cancer were examined by a dentist for 8 weeks after radiotherapy initiation. Cancer type and site were recorded based on the patients’ medical records. In addition, we assessed oral health-related quality of life. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 56.3 ± 11.6 years, with patients aged > 60 years comprising the largest proportion of the mucositis group. The median (range) of the PI index were 0 (0–3) and 1 (0–3) among participants with mucositis and those without, respectively, with no significant difference (P = 0.761). The median (range) of the total Oral Health Impact Profile score were 54 (42–58) and 41 (14–70) among participants without mucositis and those with mucositis, respectively (P = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that patients who developed mucositis during radiotherapy had lower oral health-related quality of life than those who did not. However, there was no difference in oral health status according to mucositis.
Dentists ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Head ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Mucositis ; Neck ; Oral Health ; Oral Hygiene ; Quality of Life ; Radiotherapy ; Stomatitis ; Tooth

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the performance of patient engagement nursing services perceived by nurses and necessity in Korea. METHODS: This study was a descriptive research. A total of 205 nurses participated in the study. The Smart Patient Engagement Assessment Checklist was developed by the investigators to assess patient engagement nursing services performance and necessity. The data were collected using online survey. Descriptive analysis and χ² analysis were performed using SPSS 25.0 program. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 36.6±8.5 years and the mean working experience was 12.92±9.23 years. Seventy eight percent of participants reported that patients and family participated in care as advisors through customer's suggestion or patient satisfaction assessment. The rate of patients' and family's engagement in care as advisors was significantly higher in tertiary hospitals (χ²=28.54, p<.001). About 89% of participants communicated with patients and family to make clinical decisions with a multidisciplinary approach. The rate of communication for multidisciplinary decision making was significantly higher in tertiary hospitals (χ²=6.30, p=.012). With regards to nurses' bedside patient handoff, 22.0% of participants reported that they were performing bedside patient handoff, and there was no significant difference between type of hospitals. About discharge planning, 72.2% of participants reported utilizing discharge checklist. CONCLUSION: Currently, patient engagement nursing services are applied partially in Korea. It seems that care protocols to be applied for patient engagement nursing services are insufficient. Therefore, patient engagement care protocols need to be developed to improve patient's health outcome and safety.
Checklist ; Decision Making ; Humans ; Korea ; Needs Assessment ; Nursing Services ; Nursing ; Patient Discharge ; Patient Handoff ; Patient Participation ; Patient Satisfaction ; Research Personnel ; Tertiary Care Centers