Purpose: This study aims to develop and test the psychometric properties of a scale for measuring the continuity of care specific to home health care patients in the context of Korean long-term care insurance services. Methods: In phase 1, the initial item pool was created based on the concept analysis results using a literature review and in-depth interviews. Phase 2 evaluated the psychometric properties of the scale in the survey conducted in 2021 using a sample of 202 receiving longterm care visiting nursing services. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to examine the construct validity. An internal consistency was examined using Cronbach’s α. Known group validity and criterion validity were assessed. Results: The EFA suggested five factors: therapeutic relationship, coordination of care, service availability, customized care plan, and consistency in service provision. The internal consistency reliability of the continuity of care scale was satisfactory (Cronbach’s α=.96). Known-group validity was established by comparing the continuity of care scores for high utilizers of home-visiting nursing services and low utilizers of home-visiting nursing services. Criterion validity was confirmed through the correlation between the developed scale and the performance of the visiting nurse service scale. Conclusion The developed scale was found to be reliable and relatively valid for measuring the patient’s perceived continuity of care within the Korean long-term care visiting nursing system.

Purpose: This study aims to develop and test the psychometric properties of a scale for measuring the continuity of care specific to home health care patients in the context of Korean long-term care insurance services. Methods: In phase 1, the initial item pool was created based on the concept analysis results using a literature review and in-depth interviews. Phase 2 evaluated the psychometric properties of the scale in the survey conducted in 2021 using a sample of 202 receiving longterm care visiting nursing services. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to examine the construct validity. An internal consistency was examined using Cronbach’s α. Known group validity and criterion validity were assessed. Results: The EFA suggested five factors: therapeutic relationship, coordination of care, service availability, customized care plan, and consistency in service provision. The internal consistency reliability of the continuity of care scale was satisfactory (Cronbach’s α=.96). Known-group validity was established by comparing the continuity of care scores for high utilizers of home-visiting nursing services and low utilizers of home-visiting nursing services. Criterion validity was confirmed through the correlation between the developed scale and the performance of the visiting nurse service scale. Conclusion The developed scale was found to be reliable and relatively valid for measuring the patient’s perceived continuity of care within the Korean long-term care visiting nursing system.

Purpose: This study aims to develop and test the psychometric properties of a scale for measuring the continuity of care specific to home health care patients in the context of Korean long-term care insurance services. Methods: In phase 1, the initial item pool was created based on the concept analysis results using a literature review and in-depth interviews. Phase 2 evaluated the psychometric properties of the scale in the survey conducted in 2021 using a sample of 202 receiving longterm care visiting nursing services. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to examine the construct validity. An internal consistency was examined using Cronbach’s α. Known group validity and criterion validity were assessed. Results: The EFA suggested five factors: therapeutic relationship, coordination of care, service availability, customized care plan, and consistency in service provision. The internal consistency reliability of the continuity of care scale was satisfactory (Cronbach’s α=.96). Known-group validity was established by comparing the continuity of care scores for high utilizers of home-visiting nursing services and low utilizers of home-visiting nursing services. Criterion validity was confirmed through the correlation between the developed scale and the performance of the visiting nurse service scale. Conclusion The developed scale was found to be reliable and relatively valid for measuring the patient’s perceived continuity of care within the Korean long-term care visiting nursing system.

Purpose: This study aims to develop and test the psychometric properties of a scale for measuring the continuity of care specific to home health care patients in the context of Korean long-term care insurance services. Methods: In phase 1, the initial item pool was created based on the concept analysis results using a literature review and in-depth interviews. Phase 2 evaluated the psychometric properties of the scale in the survey conducted in 2021 using a sample of 202 receiving longterm care visiting nursing services. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to examine the construct validity. An internal consistency was examined using Cronbach’s α. Known group validity and criterion validity were assessed. Results: The EFA suggested five factors: therapeutic relationship, coordination of care, service availability, customized care plan, and consistency in service provision. The internal consistency reliability of the continuity of care scale was satisfactory (Cronbach’s α=.96). Known-group validity was established by comparing the continuity of care scores for high utilizers of home-visiting nursing services and low utilizers of home-visiting nursing services. Criterion validity was confirmed through the correlation between the developed scale and the performance of the visiting nurse service scale. Conclusion The developed scale was found to be reliable and relatively valid for measuring the patient’s perceived continuity of care within the Korean long-term care visiting nursing system.

Purpose: This study aims to develop and test the psychometric properties of a scale for measuring the continuity of care specific to home health care patients in the context of Korean long-term care insurance services. Methods: In phase 1, the initial item pool was created based on the concept analysis results using a literature review and in-depth interviews. Phase 2 evaluated the psychometric properties of the scale in the survey conducted in 2021 using a sample of 202 receiving longterm care visiting nursing services. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to examine the construct validity. An internal consistency was examined using Cronbach’s α. Known group validity and criterion validity were assessed. Results: The EFA suggested five factors: therapeutic relationship, coordination of care, service availability, customized care plan, and consistency in service provision. The internal consistency reliability of the continuity of care scale was satisfactory (Cronbach’s α=.96). Known-group validity was established by comparing the continuity of care scores for high utilizers of home-visiting nursing services and low utilizers of home-visiting nursing services. Criterion validity was confirmed through the correlation between the developed scale and the performance of the visiting nurse service scale. Conclusion The developed scale was found to be reliable and relatively valid for measuring the patient’s perceived continuity of care within the Korean long-term care visiting nursing system.

Objectives: . The recent expansion of eligibility for cochlear implantation (CI) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to include infants as young as 9 months has reignited debates concerning the clinically appropriate cut-off age for pediatric CI. Our study compared the early postoperative trajectories of receptive and expressive language development in children who received CI before 9 months of age with those who received it between 9 and 12 months. This study involved a unique pediatric cohort with documented etiology, where the timing of CI was based on objective criteria and efforts were made to minimize the influence of parental socioeconomic status. Methods: . A retrospective review of 98 pediatric implantees recruited at a tertiary referral center was conducted. The timing of CI was based on auditory and language criteria focused on the extent of delay corresponding to the bottom 1st percentile of language development among age-matched controls, with patients categorized into very early (CI at <9 months), early (CI at 9–12 months) and delayed (CI at 12–18 months) CI groups. Postoperative receptive/expressive language development was assessed using the Sequenced Language Scale for Infants receptive and expressive standardized scores and percentiles. Results: . Only the very early CI group showed significant improvements in receptive language starting at 3 months post-CI, aligning with normal-hearing peers by 9 months and maintaining this level until age 2 years. During this period (<2 years), all improvements were more pronounced in receptive language than in expressive language. Conclusion . CI before 9 months of age significantly improved receptive language development compared to later CI, with improvements sustained at least up to the age of 2. This study supports the consideration of earlier CI, beyond pediatric Food and Drug Administration labeling criteria (>9 months), in children with profound deafness who have a clear deafness etiology and language development delays (<1st percentile).

Recent investigations on familial thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection (TAAD) identified several genetic variants. Meanwhile, intracranial vasculopathy in familial TAAD has been scarcely reported. We report a case of a young man with Marfanoid habitus and familial TAAD carrying MFAP5, c.472C>T variant. He presented with recurrent thunderclap headache and multifocal intracranial vasculopathy, which is predominantly suggestive of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. While the role of MFAP5 in vasculopathy requires clarification, we propose its haploinsufficiency may contribute to both TAAD and intracranial stenosis, highlighting a potential risk of cerebrovascular disease in familial TAAD.

Purpose: The authors aimed to identify the factors affecting interhospital transfer (“transfer”) of severe pediatric patients who visited to an emergency department (ED). Methods: Using the Korean National ED Information System, we analyzed high-acuity patients aged 18 years or younger who visited EDs of local or regional emergency centers nationwide. The high acuity was defined as a Korean Triage and Acuity Scale 1-2. To investigate the factors associated with transfer, a multilevel modeling was selected, examining independent variables at both individual- and hospital-levels with transfer as a dependent variable. Results: A model consisting of variables at individual- and hospital-levels showed the factors as follows: mode of arrival(self-transport: odds ratio, 0.48 [95% confidence interval, 0.38-0.61]; other ambulances: 0.41 [0.24-0.71]; compared with firehouse ambulance), visit at 18:00-07:59 (0.75 [0.64-0.88]), intentional injury (1.59 [1.03-2.47]; compared with non-injury), decreased level of consciousness (drowsy: 1.94 [1.33-2.84]; stupor: 4.08 [2.99-5.57]; coma: 1.81 [1.26-2.60]; compared with alert), severe illness diagnosis (1.49 [1.12-1.98]), the number of all beds in EDs (1.02 [1.01-1.04]), and acceptance for treatment (0.92 [0.87-0.98]; with increment of 1%). Conclusion This study confirms that both individual-level and hospital-level factors affect the transfer risk of severe pediatric patients in EDs. The study suggests the needs for direct transportation to specialized pediatric treatment facilities, and concentrated support for the pediatric emergency medical centers and pediatric trauma centers.

Purpose: Cancer patients need ongoing care from healthcare providers to maintain continuity of treatment. Much research has been conducted on digital health services for providing continuous management of discharged cancer patients. This review aimed to identify nurse-led digital health interventions for discharged cancer patients. Methods: This scoping review was conducted using JBI methodology. The population was post-discharge adult cancer patients, the concept was nurse-led digital health intervention, and the context was open. Databases including PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, KoreaMed, and RISS were searched.Data were summarized about the general characteristics of the article, participants, interventions, and outcomes. Results: Fifty-seven studies were included, with ten studies that focused on the elderly. One third of the participants included in this review had colorectal cancer (32.7%). Telephone was the most frequently used format, while the others were applications, the internet, and telemonitoring. The nurses’ main roles consisted of counseling, symptom monitoring, and education. Conclusion The development of nurseled digital health intervention for the elderly will be necessary, and studies using more diverse technologies will need to be conducted. Digital health interventions for post-discharge colorectal cancer patients could be applied in practice. Nurses should provide emotional support while providing digital health interventions.