Earticle

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of affect climate on organizational health and customer orientation. Methods: A total of 309 completed surveys were collected between September 15 and October 16, 2021. The data included factors such as socio-demographics, work-related characteristics, affect climate, etc. Statistical methods such as the t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were used. Results: First, the positive display climate and positive experiential climate of the affect climate of medical institutions had a positive effect on all organizational health factors. Second, increases in ‘positive display climate’ and ‘positive experiential climate’ were found to have a positive effect on customer orientation. Third, a negative display climate had a negative effect on organizational health and voluntary customer orientation. Conclusions: Medical institutions need to continuously develop and operate organizational-level education and training to improve organizational health based on the emotional environment that is closely connected in the process of organizational culture improvement.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the financial performance of public and private hospitals, and evaluate factors affecting profitability. Methods: Data were obtained from 166 statistically reliable Annual Balance Sheets (2019) submitted to the National Tax Service by advanced and general hospitals. They were investigated using a t-test and multiple regression analysis with profitability as a dependent variable. Results: The stability, turnover, and profitability indices showed a statistically significant difference between public and private hospitals. Second, public hospitals tend not to link asset utilization to profits due to cost expenditure, and private hospitals link asset utilization to profit; however, advanced hospitals tend to be more advantageous. Conclusions: Policies to improve financial performance should consider the fact that each factor has a different effect on profitability, depending on the hospital type.

Objectives: This study attempted to identify the effects of hospital selection factors of joint specialty hospitals on patient experience evaluations and provide theoretical base to facilitate the spread of patient-centered medical culture and increase the competitiveness of specialty hospitals. Methods: A survey was conducted from July 1 to August 31, 2020, with inpatients hospitalized after being diagnosed with a joint disease at joint specialty hospitals in B City. The study tool comprised questions related to general characteristics, hospital use characteristics, hospital selection factors, and patient experience evaluations. The collected data were analyzed by performing frequency analysis, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics. Results: First, patients were found to consider professionality factors the most when selecting joint specialty hospitals. Second, doctor service showed the highest result for patient experience evaluation. Third, professionality factors, among the hospital selection factors, had a positive (+) effect on all domains of patient experience evaluation. Conclusions: It is necessary to increase the professionality related to joint treatment and spread patient-centered medical culture by providing high-quality medical services to increase the competitiveness of joint specialty hospitals.

Objectives: This study attempted to identify the effect of nursing work environment, job embeddedness, and interprofessional core competencies on the nursing performance of nurses in small and medium-sized hospitals. Methods: The sample comprised 190 nurses in four small and medium-sized hospitals. Data were collected through self-directed questionnaires and analyzed using t-test, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and hierarchical multiple regression. Results: Nursing work environment, job embeddedness, and interprofessional core competencies were positively correlated with nursing work performance. The hierarchical regression analysis identified that job embeddedness (β =.399, p<.001) and interprofessional core competencies (β=.481, p<.001) were factors affecting nursing work performance with a total explanatory power of 61.3%. Conclusions: To enhance the nursing performance of the mentioned nurses, it is necessary to develop and apply an education program that can strengthen interprofessional core competencies and promote job embeddedness.

Objectives: This study investigates the expectation gap between the general public and staff of medical institutions based on the introduction of the artificial intelligence diagnosis systems at medical institutions. Methods: To this end, the study analyzes 334 data sets collected nationwide through online investigations. Results: The results of the analysis reveal that, in all areas, except for the cost-concern area, the general public has higher expectations regarding artificial intelligence diagnosis systems than staff working at medical institutions. Despite the cost concerns, the general public perceive the positive aspects of the artificial intelligence diagnosis systems. The results confirm the presence of gaps between the staff and general public in terms of perception and emotion. Conclusions: These findings can help in the design of an efficient system for managing customer responses and staff’s decision-making regarding the introduction of new technology and can extend the technology acceptance theory at medical institutions.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effect of cognitive-functional dual-task training on balance, gait and cognitive function in patients with mild to moderate dementia. Methods: A total 36 participants were randomly assigned to three groups: cognitive-functional dual-task training (n=11), functional training (n=13), and control group (n=12). There were given 30-minute training for 2day/week, in total 24 times over 12 weeks. Results: Participants in the cognitive-functional dual-task triaining group showed significant improvement in balance and gait than the patients in the functional training and control groups (p<.05). There was significant improvement in cognitive function in all groups (p<0.5). Conclusions: Cognitive-functional dual-task training appers to have contributed the improvement dementia patient’s physical and cognitive function. Dual-task training is necessary to preventing the progression of severity and maintaining residual function in dementia patients.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between health status, health care behavior, and depression among older adults over 65 years old who live alone and are utilizing elderly welfare centers located in Gyeonggi-do. Methods: The data of 575 older adults aged 65 years or older were collected and analyzed using frequency analysis, crossover analysis, t-test, and logistic regression analysis. Results: First, we found that a high number of participants experienced depression if health care behavior did not include any physical exercise program (x2 = 2.729, p<.05). Second, factors leading to depression in older adults who live alone included monthly household income (OR : 0.658, 95%, CI : 0.372-0.968), physical health level (OR : 1.595, 95%, CI : 1.332-1.909), and hospitalization experience (OR : 1.577, 95%, CI : 1.199-1.802). Conclusions: It is necessary to develop a plan in terms of health management for older adults who live alone and are suffering from depression, and to establish social service policies and management that can integrate health care and welfare services.

Objectives: This meta-analysis aimed to provide evidence of the effects of reminiscence therapy on institutionalized elderly people with dementia. Methods: A literature search was conducted using 11 electronic databases. All analyses were conducted using a random-effects model from R package version 4.0.2. Results: All twelve studies were judged to be homogeneous by presenting the physical characteristics and cognitive function before the intervention. The effect size of the overall study was SMD=0.64 (95% CI 0.30~0.98, p<.001), showing a statistically significant moderate effect size. The heterogeneity of the overall effect size was I2=73%(Q=24.34,df=11,p<.01), showing moderate heterogeneity. Conclusions: Reminiscence therapy has the potential to improve cognitive function in institutionalized elderly people with dementia. Further studies will be needed to prepare standard guidelines for reminiscence therapy to improve evidence-based practice.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors influencing social work competency of social workers in the Individualized Support Service for Older Adults. Methods: An online survey of 1,927 social workers affiliated with Individualized Support Service for Older Adults was conducted. The data of the final 1,637 participants were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis using the SPSS 18.0 program. Results: The following results were obtained: Factors influencing the job competency of social workers were job experience at elderly care institutions, value ethics competency, intervention competency, administrative and policy practice competency among geriatric social work competency, and supervision satisfaction. Conclusions: Based on these results, we suggest implications for improving task competency among social workers.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to understand the factors affecting quality of life according to the presence of periodontal disease, which is the most common oral disease in the older-adult population. Methods: To understand the factors affecting quality of life according to the presence of periodontal disease, a regression analysis of a complex sample general linear model was performed. Results: In the results of this study, the factors commonly affecting quality of life among older adults in both the normal group and the group with periodontal disease according to the presence of periodontal disease were household income, the number of systemic disease, subjective health status, having experienced a toothache within the last year, appeal for speech problems, and having received an oral examination within the last year. Conclusions: It is thus necessary to increase accessibility to dental treatment institutions as well as to adjust the direction of the healthcare system from the previous level of disease treatment and prevention to more active prevention of disease.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between demographic characteristics, depression, and community periodontal index. Data of 6,756 adults over the age of 20, obtained from the 7th (2016–2018) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey representing Korea, were analyzed. Methods: Data were analyzed using the SPSS 26.0 statistical package program for frequency analysis, cross-analysis, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis for inter-group comparison. Results: Demographic characteristics were related to depression and CPI. The lower the depression, the higher the CPI; significant differences were found, suggesting that depression was not a CPI risk factor. The explanatory power of this model was 20%. Conclusions: Lower depression is associated with higher CPI, indicating that there was no relationship between depression and CPI, and that depression was not a CPI risk factor. However, since the relationship between the two diseases was confirmed in a study with a small number of depression cases, it is difficult to exclude the possibility that depression is a risk factor for CPI. Thus, management training is required.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate and suggest risk factors for arteriosclerosis, which causes sudden death in individuals living alone. Methods: The study assessed data of 343 one-person households falling in the age aroup of 40 to 75years. The data was obtained from the 7th Natoinal Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and the major diseases related to arteriosclerosis, such as hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia, were classified into borderline, risk, and normal groups depending on morbidity. Results: Significant results were observed in relation to income, BMI, smoking, physical activity, caloric intake, dietary life, sleep quality for men, and BMI for women. For individuals aged 40 to 64 years, income, recipient of welfare, BMI, smoking, caloric intake were the related risk factors. For individuals aged 65 to 75 years, income, BMI, sleep quality were the risk factors. For individuals living in Eup and Myeon, income, recipient of welfare, BMI, drinking, and dietary life were the main risk factors. On the other hand, BMI and sleep quality were the risk factors for those living in Dong. Conclusions: These intergroup differences in risk factors for arteriosclerosis indicate that it is necessary to intervene by espousing diverse approaches.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify factors related to smoking cessation attempts in adult smokers diagnosed with hypertension. Methods: In total, 8,021 smokers, who had been diagnosed with hypertension and were over the age of 30 years, were selected as participants for our analysis, Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed with variables showing significant results through crossover analysis. Results: Factors influencing smoking cessation attempts in smokers with hypertension were found to be related to age, educational level, average smoking amount, non-smoking plan status (OR 4.155, 95% CI 3.507-4.923), recognition of hypertension level (OR 1.267, 95% CI 1.119-1.434), health education for hypertension management (OR 1.242, 95% CI 1.086-1.420), and being diabetic (OR 1.248, 95% CI 1.116-1.396). Conclusions: To lower the smoking rate of hypertensive patients, it is necessary to provide a smoking cessation program tailored to the characteristics of smokers and appropriate smoking cessation education.

Objectives: This study examines the spatial and temporal patterns of hypertension prevalence and treatment, while also suggesting a public health intervention strategy for hypertension management. Methods: We utilized the hypertension prevalence and treatment rate from the Community Health Survey data collected between 2011 and 2020. To analyze the spatio-temporal patterns of hypertension prevalence and treatment, spatial autocorrelation and hotspot analyses were performed. Results: The spatial autocorrelation analysis revealed regional hypertension prevalence clusters between adjacent regions. For the previous five years, the hotspots with a high prevalence of hypertension were 28 si-gun-gu, which were adjacent to each other, including 16 regions in Gangwon, four in Gyeonggi, two in Incheon, and six in Chungnam. The treatment rate of hypertension showed a random pattern, irrespective of regional and spatial proximity. Conclusions: The results highlight the cooperative approach from adjacent regions by reflecting regional and spatial effects for effective hypertension management. In addition, it is necessary to implement customized interventions for regions with a low treatment rate.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effects of a cardio-cerebrovascular disease prevention program in middle-aged women. Methods: We used one group (n=33) in a pre-post test experimental study. The 12-weeks program based on the social ecological model (SEM) comprised individual, interpersonal, organizational, and community levels. Results: Self-efficacy and health behaviors significantly improved after the program. In addition, abdominal circumference, systolic and diastolic pressure, and fasting blood sugar level were significantly decreased, and the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol significantly increased. No significant differences in body mass index, hemoglobin A1C, triglyceride, or total cholesterol levels were found. Conclusions: The SEM-based program can improve self-efficacy and health behavior and might have effect to prevent physical and biological risk factors of cardio-cerebrovascular disease among middle-aged women.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to identify the factors affecting compliance with COVID-19 prevention rules for international students living in Busan. Methods: The data were analyzed using the SPSS 26.0 program, and statistical significance was set to p<.05. A t-test, ANOVA, and logistic analysis were performed to identify the factors affecting compliance with COVID-19 prevention rules. Results: The degree of compliance with COVID-19 precautions was higher in women than men and higher in older adults and Chinese students. In addition, nationality was a factor affecting international students' compliance with COVID-19 prevention rules. Conclusions: When seeking ways to manage infectious diseases and respond to crises among international students in the future, it is necessary to consider variables such as nationality, gender, and age, which influence the implementation of the COVID-19 prevention code of conduct.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of each group by analyzing differences in socio-demographic factors, industrial accidents, health, and quality of life due to industrial accidents according to the types of industrial accidents among injured persons. Methods: Based on the second- cohort second-survey participants of the Panel Study of Workers' Compensation Insurance, data for 2,951 injured persons were analyzed using SPSS 25.0. Results: The findings confirmed that there were statistically significant differences in terms of socio-demographics, industrial accidents, health, and quality of life due to industrial accidents according to the types of industrial accidents. There was a statistically significant correlation among all variables in both groups. Conclusions: Efficient support policies that are differentiated for each group should be developed; in particular, social interest in occupational diseases and reinforcement of support policies are required. In addition, customized support policies should be developed that consider the characteristics of each group.