Purpose: Recent studies have focused on policies aimed at supporting the independence of individuals with disabilities in communities. As part of this initiative, supportive housing, integrated care, and residential spaces offer tailored services based on individual needs and autonomy. The attitudes and knowledge of the administrators supporting supportive housing residents regarding health management can influence the well-being of individuals with disabilities. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the challenges faced by supporting housing workers in enhancing the self-management skills of individuals with disabilities. Methods: In this qualitative study, focus group interviews were conducted in August 2023 with nine administrators working to support housing in Seoul. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the interview data. Results: The needs and challenges in enhancing the self-management skills of individuals with disabilities were as follows: (1) the complexity of health management challenges, (2) bidirectional strategies for strengthening health management capabilities, and (3) support for systematic health management. Additionally, eight subthemes were derived. Conclusion By investigating the difficulties experienced and identifying the necessary support requirements for supportive housing workers, this study seeks to uncover insights and identifies areas for improvement and strategies for health management. This study acknowledges the educational and institutional support necessary to improve the health and quality of life of individuals with disabilities residing in supportive housing.

Purpose: A care coordinator is an emerging nursing professional role in South Korea. The purpose of this study was to identify educational needs and priorities for care coordinators among nurses. Methods: An online survey was conducted on 661 current or retired nurses from January 30 to February 28, 2021. A total of 17 essential competencies for care coordinators, recognized based on literature review, were used to analyze the educational needs. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a paired t-test, and one-way analysis of variance with SPSS 25.0. The educational needs analysis was conducted by using a paired t-test, the Borich Needs Assessment Model, and the Locus for Focus Model. Results: Five contents were identified as the first priorities for educational needs: ‘Health program planning and evaluation’, ‘Care planning’, ‘Coordinating community-based services’, ‘Case management’, and ‘Transitional care’. The second priorities for educational needs included 'Population health management' and'Welfare resource linkages via communicating with social workers’. Conclusion The priority items derived from this study offer underpinning insights for the development of care coordination training program.

Fourteen African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks occurred in the pig farms in the northwestern region of South Korea, near the border with North Korea, from September 16, 2019 to October 9, 2019. Active and passive surveillance on the ASF-infected farms indicated that the infection was limited only to pigsties where the infected pigs were detected on the farm for the first time before further transmission to other pigsties and farms. This early detection could be one of the pivotal factors for the prompt eradication of ASF in domestic pig farms within 1 month in the northwestern region of South Korea.

Fourteen African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks occurred in the pig farms in the northwestern region of South Korea, near the border with North Korea, from September 16, 2019 to October 9, 2019. Active and passive surveillance on the ASF-infected farms indicated that the infection was limited only to pigsties where the infected pigs were detected on the farm for the first time before further transmission to other pigsties and farms. This early detection could be one of the pivotal factors for the prompt eradication of ASF in domestic pig farms within 1 month in the northwestern region of South Korea.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study was conducted to clarify the sustained virological response (SVR) prediction ability of baseline and treatment-related factors in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. METHODS: This retrospective study collected data at four tertiary referral hospitals between June 2004 and July 2012. Out of 476 patients, 330 treatment-naïve patients with chronic HCV infection were recruited. Pegylated interferon α-2a/-2b plus ribavirin was administered for either 24 or 48 weeks depending on the HCV genotype. The baseline and treatment-related predictive factors of SVR were evaluated by analyzing data measured before treatment (i.e., baseline) and during treatment. RESULTS: SVR rates for genotypes 1 and 2 were 63% (97/154) and 79.5% (140/176), respectively (p = 0.001). Multivariate analysis for baseline factors revealed that young age (p = 0.009), genotype 2 (p = 0.001), HCV RNA level of < 800,000 IU/mL (p < 0.001), and a baseline platelet count of > 150 × 10³/µL (p < 0.001) were significant SVR predictors, regardless of the genotype. In particular, predictive accuracy for achievement of SVR was 87.3% for a baseline platelet count of > 150 × 10³/µL. In multivariate analysis for treatment-related factors, SVR was associated with achievement of a rapid virological response (RVR; p < 0.001), treatment adherence of ≥ 80/80/80 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Young age, genotype 2, low HCV RNA level, RVR, and treatment adherence were significantly associated with SVR. In addition, platelet count was an independent predictive factor for SVR. Therefore, platelet count could be used to develop individualized treatment regimens and to optimize treatment outcomes in patients with chronic HCV infection.

No abstract available.
Intracranial Hemorrhages* ; Stroke*

OBJECTIVES: Severe mental illness is a major risk factor for suicide. This study aimed to identify characteristics of patients who died by suicide among subjects who had been received service from a community mental health center. METHODS: We searched individuals who had committed suicide in Gwangju Bukgu Community Mental Health Center since 2006. Sociodemographic and clinical data were gathered from medical records and their case managers and they were compared with those of general members in the center. Characteristics of schizophrenia patients who died by suicide were particularly summarized. RESULTS: Twelve person committed suicide between 2006 and 2016. The characteristics of those who died by suicide were male (67%), diagnosis of schizophrenia (75%), aged below 50 (83%), unemployed (92%), past history of psychiatric hospitalization (100%), recent admission within 3 months (67%), past history of suicidal attempt (78%), family history of schizophrenia (58%), poor adherence to medication (58%), and use of daily rehabilitation program (42%). Ten out of twelve (83%) showed warning sign for suicide. All identified method of suicide in patients with schizophrenia was jumping from high building. Many patients with schizophrenia, who committed suicide, suffered from comorbid depressive symptoms (67%) and auditory hallucination (78%). CONCLUSION: Case managers should pay attention to and carefully manage individuals who showed suicidal warning, particularly with risk factors for suicide, such as unemployment, admission state or recent discharge from psychiatric hospital, poor adherence to medication, family history of schizophrenia, and a history of suicidal attempt.
Case Management ; Depression ; Diagnosis ; Gwangju ; Hallucinations ; Hospitalization ; Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Mental Health* ; Methods ; Rehabilitation ; Risk Factors ; Schizophrenia ; Suicide* ; Unemployment

OBJECTIVES: Severe mental illness is a major risk factor for suicide. This study aimed to identify characteristics of patients who died by suicide among subjects who had been received service from a community mental health center. METHODS: We searched individuals who had committed suicide in Gwangju Bukgu Community Mental Health Center since 2006. Sociodemographic and clinical data were gathered from medical records and their case managers and they were compared with those of general members in the center. Characteristics of schizophrenia patients who died by suicide were particularly summarized. RESULTS: Twelve person committed suicide between 2006 and 2016. The characteristics of those who died by suicide were male (67%), diagnosis of schizophrenia (75%), aged below 50 (83%), unemployed (92%), past history of psychiatric hospitalization (100%), recent admission within 3 months (67%), past history of suicidal attempt (78%), family history of schizophrenia (58%), poor adherence to medication (58%), and use of daily rehabilitation program (42%). Ten out of twelve (83%) showed warning sign for suicide. All identified method of suicide in patients with schizophrenia was jumping from high building. Many patients with schizophrenia, who committed suicide, suffered from comorbid depressive symptoms (67%) and auditory hallucination (78%). CONCLUSION: Case managers should pay attention to and carefully manage individuals who showed suicidal warning, particularly with risk factors for suicide, such as unemployment, admission state or recent discharge from psychiatric hospital, poor adherence to medication, family history of schizophrenia, and a history of suicidal attempt.
Case Management ; Depression ; Diagnosis ; Gwangju ; Hallucinations ; Hospitalization ; Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Mental Health* ; Methods ; Rehabilitation ; Risk Factors ; Schizophrenia ; Suicide* ; Unemployment

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: About 30%-40% of stroke patients are taking antiplatelet at the time of their strokes, which might increase the risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH) with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV-TPA) therapy. We aimed to assess the effect of prestroke antiplatelet on the SICH risk and functional outcome in Koreans treated with IV-TPA. METHODS: From a prospective stroke registry, we identified patients treated with IV-TPA between October 2009 and November 2014. Prestroke antiplatelet use was defined as taking antiplatelet within 7 days before the stroke onset. The primary outcome was SICH. Secondary outcomes were discharge modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Of 1,715 patients treated with IV-TPA, 441 (25.7%) were on prestroke antiplatelet. Prestroke antiplatelet users versus non-users were more likely to be older, to have multiple vascular risk factors. Prestroke antiplatelet use was associated with an increased risk of SICH (5.9% vs. 3.0%; adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.79 [1.05-3.04]). However, at discharge, the two groups did not differ in mRS distribution (adjusted OR 0.90 [0.72-1.14]), mRS 0-1 outcome (34.2% vs. 33.7%; adjusted OR 1.27 [0.94-1.72), mRS 0-2 outcome (52.4% vs. 52.9%; adjusted OR 1.21 [0.90-1.63]), and in-hospital mortality (6.1% vs. 4.2%; adjusted OR 1.19 [0.71-2.01]). CONCLUSIONS: Despite an increased risk of SICH, prestroke antiplatelet users compared to non-users had comparable functional outcomes and in-hospital mortality with IV-TPA therapy. Our results support the use of IV-TPA in eligible patients taking antiplatelet therapy before their stroke onset.
Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Intracranial Hemorrhages* ; Odds Ratio ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Stroke ; Thrombolytic Therapy ; Tissue Plasminogen Activator

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic disease that affects approximately 50,000 people annually in Asia, causing 10,000 deaths. Considering the role of pigs as the virus-amplifying host and the economic loss in the swine industry, JE is an important disease for both public and animal health. A nationwide JE virus (JEV) vaccination program has been conducted annually for more than 30 years to prevent severe reproductive disorders in the Korean sow population. Remarkable progress in molecular biology has made it possible to analyze the genome of the vaccine strain at the nucleotide and amino acid levels. However, the scientific record of the current JEV veterinary vaccine has not been reported. Therefore, this article outlines the current JEV vaccine strain used in animals and discusses future directions for developing new veterinary JEV vaccines.
Animals ; Asia ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Encephalitis Viruses, Japanese ; Encephalitis, Japanese* ; Genome ; Humans ; Korea* ; Molecular Biology ; Swine ; Vaccination ; Vaccines* ; Zoonoses