Purpose: Recent development in perioperative treatment of resectable non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have changed the landscape of early lung cancer management. The ADAURA trial has demonstrated the efficacy of adjuvant osimertinib treatment in resectable NSCLC patients; however, studies are required to show which subgroup of patients are at a high risk of relapse and require adjuvant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment. This study evaluated risk factors for postoperative relapse among patients who underwent complete resection. Materials and Methods: Data were obtained from the Korean Association for Lung Cancer Registry (KALC-R), a database created using a retrospective sampling survey by the Korean Central Cancer Registry (KCCR) and the Lung Cancer Registration Committee. Results: A total of 3,176 patients who underwent curative resection was evaluated. The mean observation time was approximately 35.4 months. Among stage I to IIIA NSCLC patients, the EGFR-mutant subgroup included 867 patients, and 75.2%, 11.2%, and 11.8% were classified as stage I, stage II, and stage III, respectively. Within the EGFR-mutant subgroup, 44 (5.1%) and 121 (14.0%) patients showed early and late recurrence, respectively. Multivariate analysis on association with postoperative relapse among the EGFR-mutant subgroup showed that age, pathologic N and TNM stages, pleural invasion status, and surgery type were independent significant factors. Conclusion Among the population that underwent complete resection for early NSCLC with EGFR mutation, patients with advanced stage, pleural invasion, or limited resection are more likely to show postoperative relapse.

Purpose: Recent development in perioperative treatment of resectable non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have changed the landscape of early lung cancer management. The ADAURA trial has demonstrated the efficacy of adjuvant osimertinib treatment in resectable NSCLC patients; however, studies are required to show which subgroup of patients are at a high risk of relapse and require adjuvant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment. This study evaluated risk factors for postoperative relapse among patients who underwent complete resection. Materials and Methods: Data were obtained from the Korean Association for Lung Cancer Registry (KALC-R), a database created using a retrospective sampling survey by the Korean Central Cancer Registry (KCCR) and the Lung Cancer Registration Committee. Results: A total of 3,176 patients who underwent curative resection was evaluated. The mean observation time was approximately 35.4 months. Among stage I to IIIA NSCLC patients, the EGFR-mutant subgroup included 867 patients, and 75.2%, 11.2%, and 11.8% were classified as stage I, stage II, and stage III, respectively. Within the EGFR-mutant subgroup, 44 (5.1%) and 121 (14.0%) patients showed early and late recurrence, respectively. Multivariate analysis on association with postoperative relapse among the EGFR-mutant subgroup showed that age, pathologic N and TNM stages, pleural invasion status, and surgery type were independent significant factors. Conclusion Among the population that underwent complete resection for early NSCLC with EGFR mutation, patients with advanced stage, pleural invasion, or limited resection are more likely to show postoperative relapse.

Purpose: Recent development in perioperative treatment of resectable non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have changed the landscape of early lung cancer management. The ADAURA trial has demonstrated the efficacy of adjuvant osimertinib treatment in resectable NSCLC patients; however, studies are required to show which subgroup of patients are at a high risk of relapse and require adjuvant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment. This study evaluated risk factors for postoperative relapse among patients who underwent complete resection. Materials and Methods: Data were obtained from the Korean Association for Lung Cancer Registry (KALC-R), a database created using a retrospective sampling survey by the Korean Central Cancer Registry (KCCR) and the Lung Cancer Registration Committee. Results: A total of 3,176 patients who underwent curative resection was evaluated. The mean observation time was approximately 35.4 months. Among stage I to IIIA NSCLC patients, the EGFR-mutant subgroup included 867 patients, and 75.2%, 11.2%, and 11.8% were classified as stage I, stage II, and stage III, respectively. Within the EGFR-mutant subgroup, 44 (5.1%) and 121 (14.0%) patients showed early and late recurrence, respectively. Multivariate analysis on association with postoperative relapse among the EGFR-mutant subgroup showed that age, pathologic N and TNM stages, pleural invasion status, and surgery type were independent significant factors. Conclusion Among the population that underwent complete resection for early NSCLC with EGFR mutation, patients with advanced stage, pleural invasion, or limited resection are more likely to show postoperative relapse.

Human ; Research Personnel ; Nurses ; Students

Objectives: Nurse empowerment is essential to ensure delivery of the best quality patient care and attaining positive nurse outcomes. Studies describe its relationship to retention, patient safety, commitment, productivity, job satisfaction, and positive outcomes. The study aimed to determine the level of empowerment of nurses in a tertiary university hospital during the pandemic crisis. Methods: The study was an exploratory descriptive cross-sectional design. Participants (N = 176, Nurses) were randomly selected through a sampling frame. The validated self-administered questionnaire, the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire II, was used for data collection. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine whether there were statistically significant differences between the means of the participants’ empowerment scores when grouped according to their demographic profile. Results: The study found that the nurses in the tertiary university hospital have an overall moderate level of empowerment (TSE x̄ = 22.69, SD = 3.53; GE x̄ = 3.72, SD = 1.01). It was also found that there were statistically significant differences between the means of their total structural and global empowerment scores when grouped according to their age group, civil status, length of service, level of position, and area designation; while no statistically significant difference existed when grouped by their sex and level of education. Conclusion Since nurse empowerment leads to positive nurse and patient outcomes, improving levels of empowerment is thus essential. The results of this study will help administrators identify groups of nurses with relatively lower levels of empowerment and in turn develop programs that will help improve their levels of empowerment.
pandemic

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and assess the experiences of cancer patients and their caregivers who had been admitted to comprehensive nursing care service wards. Methods: Data were collected from 10 patients and 10 caregivers by in-depth interviews. The data were analyzed using content analysis of Downe-Wamboldt. Results: Three categories and seven subcategories were extracted. 1) Realizing institutional limitations of comprehensive nursing care service: ‘Wishing for precise operating systems based on patient severity,’ ‘Anticipating active caregiver participation in treatment process,’ ‘Requiring a countermeasure for safety accidents,’ 2) Professional nursing service which provides relief: ‘Patient-centered professional nursing service,’ ‘Inpatient service that provides relief for patients and caregivers,’ 3) Anticipating continuous use of the service: ‘Inpatient service which users are willing to reuse,’ ‘Wishing for expansion and reinforcement of the service.’ Conclusion Cancer patients and their caregivers experienced institutional limitations while satisfied with professional nursing service and willing to reuse the service. To improve this situation, institutional support such as separate wards for severe patients, measures for active caregiver participation and prevention of safety accidents, and adequate staffing would be helpful for relatively severe level cancer patients and their caregivers.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and assess the experiences of cancer patients and their caregivers who had been admitted to comprehensive nursing care service wards. Methods: Data were collected from 10 patients and 10 caregivers by in-depth interviews. The data were analyzed using content analysis of Downe-Wamboldt. Results: Three categories and seven subcategories were extracted. 1) Realizing institutional limitations of comprehensive nursing care service: ‘Wishing for precise operating systems based on patient severity,’ ‘Anticipating active caregiver participation in treatment process,’ ‘Requiring a countermeasure for safety accidents,’ 2) Professional nursing service which provides relief: ‘Patient-centered professional nursing service,’ ‘Inpatient service that provides relief for patients and caregivers,’ 3) Anticipating continuous use of the service: ‘Inpatient service which users are willing to reuse,’ ‘Wishing for expansion and reinforcement of the service.’ Conclusion Cancer patients and their caregivers experienced institutional limitations while satisfied with professional nursing service and willing to reuse the service. To improve this situation, institutional support such as separate wards for severe patients, measures for active caregiver participation and prevention of safety accidents, and adequate staffing would be helpful for relatively severe level cancer patients and their caregivers.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and assess the experiences of cancer patients and their caregivers who had been admitted to comprehensive nursing care service wards. Methods: Data were collected from 10 patients and 10 caregivers by in-depth interviews. The data were analyzed using content analysis of Downe-Wamboldt. Results: Three categories and seven subcategories were extracted. 1) Realizing institutional limitations of comprehensive nursing care service: ‘Wishing for precise operating systems based on patient severity,’ ‘Anticipating active caregiver participation in treatment process,’ ‘Requiring a countermeasure for safety accidents,’ 2) Professional nursing service which provides relief: ‘Patient-centered professional nursing service,’ ‘Inpatient service that provides relief for patients and caregivers,’ 3) Anticipating continuous use of the service: ‘Inpatient service which users are willing to reuse,’ ‘Wishing for expansion and reinforcement of the service.’ Conclusion Cancer patients and their caregivers experienced institutional limitations while satisfied with professional nursing service and willing to reuse the service. To improve this situation, institutional support such as separate wards for severe patients, measures for active caregiver participation and prevention of safety accidents, and adequate staffing would be helpful for relatively severe level cancer patients and their caregivers.

Introduction: Fingermarks left at a crime scene can indicate the presence of an individual and his/her involvement in the crime. Fingermarks, usually invisible, can appear on any surface and may be contaminated by any exogenous substances, including drug substance. Recovery of fingermarks contaminated by drug substance is crucial to link an individual with the drug-related crimes. Hence, this study was aimed to investigate the recovery and visualisation of methamphetamine-contaminated fingermarks from various non-porous surface materials. Methods: In this study, fingermarks were deposited on 11 types of surface materials varied by the presence of methamphetamine contamination, immediacy of deposition, and their concentration levels. Each fingermark was then developed using white and black fingerprint powders, graded, and compared based on the different settings. Results: Application of fingerprint powder was good in developing fingermarks; however, its suitability depends on the nature of the surface materials. Black fingerprint powder produced better visualisation where the fingermarks on all the 11 surface materials tested in this study were successfully recovered compared to white fingerprint powders. Methamphetamine-contaminated fingermarks could still be recovered using the fingerprint powder dusting method, but the fingermark grade was reduced due to the presence of exogenous substance. Conclusion: To conclude, the recovery and visualisation of methamphetamine-contaminated fingermarks on non-porous surfaces were successfully carried out through the application of fingerprint powder. A more severe contamination might lead to lower fingermark grade showing lesser ridge details.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Lean Six Sigma approach in improving procedure for (TAT) of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for SARS-CoV-2 testing at The Medical City. Specific objectives of the study are to determine the following: 1) baseline sigma and average TAT (in hours); 2) post-implementation sigma and average TAT (in hours) 3) compare if there is a significant improvement between baseline and post-implementation sigma and average TAT (in hours) 4) effect on workflow efficiency. METHODOLOGY: Lean Six Sigma method for quality improvement was applied using DMAIC: Define, Measure, Improve, and Control. The root causes identified were lack of manpower, equipment, space, and manual and complex processes. Then, process wastes were identified, and corresponding proposed solutions were sustained in the control phase, such as standardization and the use of automation. Measurement of turn-around time and six sigma of the process were performed for evaluation. RESULTS: Results showed a significant improvement in the TAT in RT-PCR results, with most results released within 24 hours. The pre-Lean Six Sigma data on TAT were as ollows: 24.88% released within 24 hours; 65.14% released within 24-48 hours; 3.56% released within 48-72 hours, and 6.42% released in more than 72 hours. The post Lean Six Sigma TAT were as ollows: 95.32% released within 24 hours; 4.29% released within 24 to 48 hours; 0.13% released within 48-72 hours, and 0.12% released more than 72 hours. The computed sigma post-implementation was increased from 3.56 to 4.82. The p-value was calculated using the chi-square test, and the computed chi-square statistic is 1894.1021. The p-value is <0.00001 and the result is significant at p<.05. Although there is a significant decrease in the volume of samples post implementation due to the changing COVID-19 situation, real time TAT was improved. It also resulted to increased workflow efficiency with the use of lesser manpower with more appropriate utilization. CONCLUSION Applying the Lean Six Sigma method to improve quality processes in the laboratory is shown to be practical, cost-effective, and straightforward.
Lean Six Sigma ; SARS-CoV-2