Traditional Korean Medicine Home Care for the Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Korea

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the status of community care services regarding traditional Korean medicine (TKM) for older adults and raise awareness on current opinions and services of TKM institutions. Methods: The National Development Institute of Korean Medicine conducted a survey of 16 local governments by sending official letters through an electronic document system from October 2020 to November 2020. The survey items included basic demographic information and information about TKM service. Results: Eleven (68.8%) of the 16 local governments provided TKM home care services. A total of 136 TKM clinics provided home care services for 598 older adults with musculoskeletal disorders. The number of TKM services provided in five or more local governments were cupping 11 (100.0%), acupuncture 11 (100.0%), education and consulting 10 (90.9%), and moxibustion 9 (81.8%). Moreover, pain (recorded on visual analogue scale) and quality of life significantly improved following TKM services (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Covered under medical policy, TKM homecare services could function as a viable alternative for continued medical care disrupted during the coronavirus disease 19 pandemic. In addition, standardisation and legalisation of these services could ensure and improve their efficiency.

Effectiveness and Safety of the Korean Medicine Senior Health Promotion Program Using Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture for Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Retrospective Study of 500 Patients in Seoul, Korea

Background. The management of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is becoming increasingly important. The Korean Medicine Senior Health Promotion Program (KSHPP) was developed in 2016, and it has been in use to date. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of KSHPP using herbal medicine and acupuncture for treating MCI and the safety of herbal medicine using liver and renal function tests. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the participants with MCI. We assessed the Korean version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K), the Mini-Mental State Examination-Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS), and the Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form-Korea version (GDSSF-K) scores before and after KSHPP to determine its effectiveness. To evaluate its safety, the liver and renal function tests were conducted before and after herbal treatment. Results. We enrolled 1002 participants, and 500 participants satisfied the inclusion criteria. Of 500 patients, 364 (72.8%) were depressed and 136 (27.2%) were not. The mean MoCA-K score significantly increased by 2.77 for the entire sample and 3.22 for the depressed sample (all P < 0.0001 ). The mean MMSE-DS score significantly increased by 2.19 for the entire sample and 2.51 for the depressed sample (all P < 0.0001 ); the mean GDSSF-K score significantly decreased by 1.73 for the entire sample and 2.68 for the depressed sample (all P < 0.0001 ). Conclusions. Our findings suggest that Korean medicine interventions can improve cognitive function and depression symptoms in patients with MCI. In addition, the results of the liver and renal function tests were analyzed as surrogate outcomes to assess the safety of herbal medicine. Based on these results, we expect that Korean medicine interventions can promote the cognitive and mental health of seniors. However, as there were several study limitations, particularly study design, practice effect, and short follow-up, these results must be interpreted with caution. We need a further long-term study with a rigorous design to retain confidence in the effectiveness and safety of KSHPP.

A survey on the impact of a pharmacovigilance practice training course for future doctors of Korean medicine on their knowledge, attitudes, and perception

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a training course on pharmacovigilance for future doctors of Korean medicine (DKM).Methods: In 2020, a pharmacovigilance training course was conducted for 57 senior students of a Korean medicine (KM) college, and its impact to the students were assessed in terms of the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of these students at three-time points: pre-training, post-training, and 4-6 months after the end of the training.Results: A total of 38 students completed the survey. The average score from the knowledge test increased significantly after training compared to prior to the training (5.47±2.140, 6.61±1.001, respectively, p<0.001) and was maintained until the final survey (6.61±1.220). The rate of correct answers to most of the knowledge test questions increased after the training but decreased in the final survey. In terms of attitudes, self-confidence in causality assessment (2.63±1.025, 4.58±0.826, p<0.001) and spontaneous reporting (2.08±1.050, 4.74±0.446, p<0.001) significantly increased after the training and then slightly decreased (3.92±1.171, 4.40±0.755). The perception level was high prior to the training, and this pattern was maintained throughout the study period. Students responded that pharmacovigilance education was necessary for DKM after training, and for the undergraduates of KM colleges.Conclusions: This study shows that this pharmacovigilance training course is effective for students majoring in KM but that retraining is required at least 6 months after the initial training. Further follow-up studies are needed to ensure that students actively participate in spontaneous reporting after graduation, and continuous education should be provided to graduates.

Development of Mission and Vision of College of Korean Medicine Using the Delphi Techniques and Big-Data Analysis

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to introduce the procedures and methods for mission and vision development at a College of Korean Medicine (CKM), which established its mission and vision using Delphi techniques and big data analysis on various members and stakeholders.Methods: A total of 754 participated in the Delphi survey. A Delphi survey was conducted with professors, students, parents, and alumni stakeholders to establish Daegu Haany University CKM’s mission and vision. The data were analyzed through content analysis and big data analysis of keywords.Results: As a result of the study, the most important keywords to be included in the mission and vision were "professionalism" and "morality." Included in the mission were the concepts of "morality" and "professionalism," which were emphasized by the four groups. All surveyed stakeholders regarded "scientific," and "global" as important themes to be included in the vision.Conclusions: The present study confirmed that there were themes commonly prioritized by all stakeholders for college mission and vision, and a difference in demand for educational goals between professors and students was also affirmed. Therefore, institutions of higher learning should develop their mission and vision by appropriately reflecting the needs of the interest groups.

A Comparative Analysis on Korean Medical and Western Medical Service Usage Tendency of Rotator Cuff Surgery Patients - Using HIRA’s Patients Sample Data

Objectives: To lay the foundation for future research into Korean Medicine treatment for Rotator Cuff repair surgery patients by analyzing Korean Medical and Western Medical service utilization and treatment duration.Methods: Data sampling was performed on 2015’s HIRA patient data (confidence level of 97%) to analyze patients’ Korean Medical and Western Medical service usage tendency. Sampled groups were divided into two groups: i) Patients who completed their treatment within five months after the rotator cuff surgery (termination group), ii) Patients who were treated for more than five months after the surgery (continuation group). Then the patients’ Korean Medical and Western Medical service usage tendency was investigated and information of these patients are arranged.Results: Out of 1,453,486 patients who were gathered for sampling, 2,461 patients in total had gone through rotator cuff repair surgery. The termination group had 517 patients and the continuation group had 541 patients. The proportion of patients who visited a Korean Medicine clinic was lower in the termination group than the continuation group.Conclusion: The continuation group received more treatments (both in Western Medicine and Korean Medicine) and spent more on medical expenses compared to the termination group. Further research is highly recommended for more efficient Western Medicine and Korean Medicine treatments and reduced medical expenditure.