Purpose: This study aimed to translate and culturally adapt Harvey’s Stigmatization Scale to measure social stigma (long and short forms) in Korean and to evaluate its reliability and validity. Methods: The translation followed the World Health Organization guidelines, including forward translation, back-translation, and expert review, to ensure both linguistic and conceptual equivalence. Data were collected from 241 participants aged 18~24 (118 female university students and 123 adolescent mothers) between March and May 2024. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s α. Structural validity was verified using confirmatory factor analysis. Convergent validity was examined using standardized factor loadings (β), statistical significance (p<.05), average variance extracted, and construct reliability. The known-group validity was verified using participant groups with expected differences in social stigma levels. Results: The Korean version demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α: long form=.94, short form=.89), acceptable model fits (long form: χ²/df=3.35, comparative fit index=.93, Tucker–Lewis index=.92; short form: χ²/df=3.77, comparative fit index=.96, Tucker–Lewis index=.93), and appropriate convergent validity (average variance extracted=.50, construct reliability: long form=.93, short form=.87). Known-groups validity was confirmed, with adolescent mothers showing significantly higher social stigma scores than female university students for both the long (t=5.78, p<.001) and short forms (t=5.35, p<.001). Conclusion The Korean version provides a comprehensive tool for measuring individuals’ social stigma experiences in the Korean context, thereby supporting research, policy development, and education. Researchers can select either form based on their objectives.

The common data model (CDM) has found widespread application in healthcare studies, but its utilization in cancer research has been limited. This article describes the development and implementation strategy for Cancer Clinical Library Databases (CCLDs), which are standardized cancer-specific databases established under the Korea-Clinical Data Utilization Network for Research Excellence (K-CURE) project by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare. Fifteen leading hospitals and fourteen academic associations in Korea are engaged in constructing CCLDs for 10 primary cancer types. For each cancer type-specific CCLD, cancer data experts determine key clinical data items essential for cancer research, standardize these items across cancer types, and create a standardized schema. Comprehensive clinical records covering diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes, with annual updates, are collected for each cancer patient in the target population, and quality control is based on six-sigma standards. To protect patient privacy, CCLDs follow stringent data security guidelines by pseudonymizing personal identification information and operating within a closed analysis environment. Researchers can apply for access to CCLD data through the K-CURE portal, which is subject to Institutional Review Board and Data Review Board approval. The CCLD is considered a pioneering standardized cancer-specific database, significantly representing Korea’s cancer data. It is expected to overcome limitations of previous CDMs and provide a valuable resource for multicenter cancer research in Korea.

The common data model (CDM) has found widespread application in healthcare studies, but its utilization in cancer research has been limited. This article describes the development and implementation strategy for Cancer Clinical Library Databases (CCLDs), which are standardized cancer-specific databases established under the Korea-Clinical Data Utilization Network for Research Excellence (K-CURE) project by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare. Fifteen leading hospitals and fourteen academic associations in Korea are engaged in constructing CCLDs for 10 primary cancer types. For each cancer type-specific CCLD, cancer data experts determine key clinical data items essential for cancer research, standardize these items across cancer types, and create a standardized schema. Comprehensive clinical records covering diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes, with annual updates, are collected for each cancer patient in the target population, and quality control is based on six-sigma standards. To protect patient privacy, CCLDs follow stringent data security guidelines by pseudonymizing personal identification information and operating within a closed analysis environment. Researchers can apply for access to CCLD data through the K-CURE portal, which is subject to Institutional Review Board and Data Review Board approval. The CCLD is considered a pioneering standardized cancer-specific database, significantly representing Korea’s cancer data. It is expected to overcome limitations of previous CDMs and provide a valuable resource for multicenter cancer research in Korea.

The common data model (CDM) has found widespread application in healthcare studies, but its utilization in cancer research has been limited. This article describes the development and implementation strategy for Cancer Clinical Library Databases (CCLDs), which are standardized cancer-specific databases established under the Korea-Clinical Data Utilization Network for Research Excellence (K-CURE) project by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare. Fifteen leading hospitals and fourteen academic associations in Korea are engaged in constructing CCLDs for 10 primary cancer types. For each cancer type-specific CCLD, cancer data experts determine key clinical data items essential for cancer research, standardize these items across cancer types, and create a standardized schema. Comprehensive clinical records covering diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes, with annual updates, are collected for each cancer patient in the target population, and quality control is based on six-sigma standards. To protect patient privacy, CCLDs follow stringent data security guidelines by pseudonymizing personal identification information and operating within a closed analysis environment. Researchers can apply for access to CCLD data through the K-CURE portal, which is subject to Institutional Review Board and Data Review Board approval. The CCLD is considered a pioneering standardized cancer-specific database, significantly representing Korea’s cancer data. It is expected to overcome limitations of previous CDMs and provide a valuable resource for multicenter cancer research in Korea.

In this study, we aimed to define the specific competencies required for nurses to effectively support healthy aging, thereby enhancing the professionalism of nurses, improving the quality of nursing services related to healthy aging, and ultimately contributing to the quality of life for older adults. Methods: Through a literature review, we derived nursing competencies for healthy aging; based on the review, we verified content validity through a Delphi survey with 10 related experts. Expert Delphi survey participants judged that expert opinions were not in agreement when the content validity ratio was less than 0.62, the consensus was less than 0.75, and the convergence was in the range of 0 to 0.5. Results: Nursing competency for healthy aging consists of 9 domains, 26 key competencies, and 132 enabling competencies. Areas include “Assessment of healthy aging,” “Service coordination,” “Prevention and management of intrinsic capacity decline,” “Support for caregivers and care staff,” “Collaboration,” “Communication,” “Leadership,” “Professional ethics,” and “Education and Research.” Conclusion: This study provides foundational data, enhancing the professionalism and expanding the roles of nurses by specifically presenting competencies required to support healthy aging in older adults. These competencies can serve as practical and systematic guidelines to advance nursing education and competency development, enabling nurses to effectively support healthy aging in older adults.

This study aims to identify caregiving burden, depression, quality of life, and institutionalization among family caregivers of home-based long-term-care insurance beneficiaries and to analyze various factors influencing these outcomes. Methods: A secondary data analysis was employed to investigate the impact of various factors on caregivers’ experiences. The study used data from the 2016 Long-Term Care Service Utilization and Care Needs Survey, targeting 1,767 family caregivers of long-term-care beneficiaries. The original survey data included the Zarit Burden Interview for caregiver burden, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for depression, and the new five-level version of EQ-5D for quality of life. Institutionalization status was identified using the long-term care database until the end of November 2023. Results: A high caregiving burden was reported by 44% of caregivers and 47.6% of family caregivers were found to be depressed. The average quality of life score was 0.82±0.14, with differences observed based on the participants’ characteristics. Among the study participants, 29.4% of the care recipients were institutionalized. Compared to caregiving burden, depression, and quality of life, the health status of the beneficiaries and their long-term-care service utilization patterns were significant factors influencing institutionalization. Conclusion: To reduce family caregivers’ burden and to decrease institutionalization rates, it is crucial to enhance home-care services and offer a variety of community-based resources. Effective welfare policies should be established to support these efforts.

The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has placed patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) at heightened risk owing to their vulnerability to infections. Our study focused on patients with ESKD, examining COVID-19 incidence, hospitalization, and mortality in relation to their renal replacement therapy (RRT) type and identifying factors influencing COVID-19 hospitalization. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using health insurance claims data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service for patients with ESKD between July 2017 and June 2022. COVID-19 data for the general population were sourced from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Results: Patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) constituted 90.7% of the cohort, followed by kidney transplantation (KT) recipients and peritoneal dialysis (PD). After adjusting for every 10,000 individuals, KT recipients exhibited the highest COVID-19 incidence, followed by those undergoing HD and PD, whereas the general population showed a higher infection rate of 43.64. Patients undergoing HD had the highest hospitalization rates, followed by KT recipients and those undergoing PD. The mortality rate per 10,000 individuals was highest in HD, followed by PD, the general population, and KT. Multivariate analysis indicated that age, RRT duration, residence in a nursing hospital, and comorbidities were associated with COVID-19 hospitalization. Conclusion: Among RRT modalities, KT recipients displayed the highest COVID-19 incidence, whereas those undergoing HD exhibited the highest hospitalization and mortality rates. This study contributes to our understanding of infectious diseases in patients on RRT and aids in preparedness for future infectious disease outbreaks.