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Objectives: Chronic diseases (CDs) continue to increase due to advances in medicine and increase in lifespan, affecting quality of life and resulting in economic loss through treat-ment costs. This study addressed the perception characteristics of the effectiveness of Korean medicine (KM) based on the existence of a CD to determine the national prefer-ence for KM treatment.Methods: Using data from the 2017 National Survey of KM Usage, we evaluated the per-ception on treatment effect of 16 diseases by dividing them into the CD group and the non-CD group. Response reliability was verified by applying the chi-square test (χ2-test) analysis method of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) statistical pro-gram.Results: The analysis of the perception on effectiveness of KM for patients with CD (n = 1,050, 21.0%) and for patients with non-CD (n = 3,950, 79.0%) showed an overall similar trend for all the 16 diseases. The response rates of having some treatment effect were high for nine diseases namely, disc-related disease (CD: 70.7%, non-CD: 73.1%), osteoar-thritis (CD: 72.3%, non-CD: 72.4%), frozen shoulder and shoulder pain (CD: 79.6%, non-CD: 81.4%), back pain (CD: 84.6%, non-CD: 85.0%), sprain (CD: 84.8%, non-CD: 84.1%), facial nerve paralysis (CD: 73.5%, non-CD: 71.7%), stroke (CD: 66.2%, non-CD: 62.8%), digestive disease (CD: 53.3%, non-CD: 50.0%), and common cold and rhinitis (CD: 44.7%, non-CD: 44.8%).Conclusion: The present results found that there was little difference in the perception on effectiveness of KM for each of the 16 diseases in patients with CD and non-CD, however, 70% or more of the respondents recognized some treatment effect on musculoskeletal disorders, regardless of the existence of CD. Preferential political support for KM treat-ment of chronic musculoskeletal disorders is recommended.

Objectives This study was conducted to development of hazardous materials management standards for the decoction type of personalized herbal medicines (PHMs). Methods This study was conducted in two stages. We searched documents about criteria to use words such as 'Herb', 'Herbal medicine', and 'Botanical Drug' and summarized the results. We organized the committee consisted of seven experts, and held two meetings to reach an agreement on hazardous management standards of the decoction type of PHMs. Results The seven documents were presented in the literature review and six items related to hazardous management standards of decoction were identified. The second expert meeting brought that a total of six items, including heavy metal, pesticide residues, sulfur dioxide, benzopyrene, mycotoxin, and micro-organism limits, were selected for safety management of decoction type of PHMs. Also, the criteria and test methods for each standard were suggested for monitoring the decoction type of PHMs. Conclusion The study suggested hazardous material management standards and criteria for the decoction types of PHMs. In the future, it would be necessary to conduct a pilot test to ensure the validity and credibility of the safety management standard and criteria. Furthermore, the government level safety management system should be introduced to verify the safety of decoction medicines.

Korea is currently executing a pilot program for community care of its aging population and aims to implement community care systems on a national scale by 2025. This study examines the traditional Korean medicine (TKM) service to be provided within community care by understanding the current status of TKM services. The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MoHW) sent official letters to 242 local governments (cities, districts, and counties) from October to November 2019 to survey the status of the public TKM services provided in 2018. The items of the survey included basic demographic information as well as information that could reveal how the program was implemented. In 112 local government jurisdictions (response rate 46.3%), a total of 867 TKM service programs were in place. As a result of the survey, it was revealed that they did not have any service manuals or evaluation results. To provide home-care-based TKM service for the elderly as an integrated part of a community care system, it is necessary to develop, distribute, and evaluate a standard service manual including an evaluation index by the central government.

Background An external herbal dispensary (EHD) is a type of pharmacy that provides various types of personalized herbal medicines (PHMs) to other traditional Korean medicine (TKM) institutions. Such dispensaries were legalized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MoHW) in 2008 in South Korea. The purpose of this study is to understand the current status of the EHD facilities and their quality controls and compare them with the good manufacture practice (GMP) guidelines to contribute to the establishment of the safety and quality control criteria for PHMs. Methods We contacted 107 EHD representatives or people in charge of the preparation of PHMs (TKM pharmacists) and invited them to complete a survey questionnaire; of the total, 81 responded. The survey questionnaire was developed in 3 stages: drafting, revision by external experts, and final editing. It consisted of 20 questions covering 3 sections: basic characteristics of EHDs, facility, and quality control. The survey was hosted online from December 2017 to January 2018 as guided by the MoHW. Results The completion rate was 75.7% (n = 81). In terms of facilities, the five facilities (water supply, manufacture, pest control, hygiene management and warehousing) that corresponded to the legal requirements of EHD were mostly equipped, but the types of facilities and equipment differed. Two facilities (sterilization and cross-contamination that were not legally required for EHD were found to have mostly pharmacopuncture-EHD (P-EHD), but hardly any herbal medicine-EHD (H-EHD). In our findings regarding quality control of non-medicinal herbs, sensory evaluation that included checks for foreign bodies and deterioration were conducted. In terms of the quality control of herbal medicines, residual pesticides and heavy metals tests were performed and for pharmacopuncture, pH, salinity, sterility, and endotoxin tests along with gross examination were performed. In the end, we found that 6 of the 38 standard items as required by the Korea GMP were suitable. Conclusions In this study, detailed information for each existing EHD law was determined through a nationwide questionnaire. Moreover, the basis for its reflection in additional legal standards should be introduced so that safe herbal medicine can be prepared in EHDs.

Aim of the Study. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the current evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment (AT), including electroacupuncture or thread-embedding therapy in combination with modern technology, for chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in women. Materials and Methods. We searched 12 electronic databases up to December 2017. All randomized controlled trials evaluating the effect of AT for CPP were considered. Results. Four RCTs with 474 participants were included. The methodological quality of included studies was generally low. The results of meta-analysis of two studies showed that AT combined with conventional treatment (CT) was associated with significantly reduced CPP, based on the total effectiveness rate (n=277, mean difference = 1.29, confidence interval = 1.13 to 1.47, P=0.0001, I2 = 0%). Conclusions. This review suggests the potential of AT combined with CT compared to CT alone for treating female CPP. However, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that AT can be recommended as a complementary and alternative (CAM) treatment for women with CPP. To draw a firm conclusion, future studies should require not only lager, more rigorously designed RCTs but also research on different AT types. Protocol Registration Number. This study is registered with PROSPERO 2018 (CRD42018088627).

Objectives The Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS), which analyzes and uses electronic health records (EHR) for medical care, pursues patient-centered medical care. It is necessary to establish the CDSS in Korean medical services for objectification and standardization. For this purpose, analyses were performed on the points to be followed for CDSS implementation with a focus on herbal medicine prescription. Methods To establish the CDSS in the prescription of Traditional Korean Medicine, the current prescription practices of Traditional Korean Medicine doctors were analyzed. We also analyzed whether the prescription support function of the electronic chart was implemented. A questionnaire survey was conducted querying Traditional Korean Medicine doctors working at Traditional Korean Medicine clinics and hospitals, to investigate their desired CDSS functions, and their perceived effects on herbal medicine prescription. The implementation of the CDSS among the audit software developers used by the Korean medical doctors was examined. Results On average, 41.2% of Traditional Korean Medicine doctors working in Traditional Korean Medicine clinics manipulated 1 to 4 herbs, and 31.2% adjusted 4 to 7 herbs. On average, 52.5% of Traditional Korean Medicine doctors working in Traditional Korean Medicine hospitals adjusted 1 to 4 herbs, and 35.5% adjusted 4 to 7 herbs. Questioning the desired prescription support function in the electronic medical record system, the Traditional Korean Medicine doctors working at Korean medicine clinics desired information on 'medicine name, meridian entry, flavor of medicinals, nature of medicinals, efficacy,' 'herb combination information' and 'search engine by efficacy of prescription.' The doctors also desired compounding contraindications (eighteen antagonisms, nineteen incompatibilities) and other contraindicatory prescriptions, 'medicine information' and 'prescription analysis information through basic constitution analyses.' The implementation of prescription support function varied by clinics and hospitals. Conclusion In order to implement and utilize the CDSS in a medical service, clinical information must be generated and managed in a standardized form. For this purpose, standardization of terminology, coding of prescriptions using a combination of herbal medicines, and unification such as the preparation method and the weights and measures should be integrated.

Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of modern medical devices utilized in diagnosis and treatment in traditional Korean medicine (TKM). Methods. We searched the following six Korean electronic databases to collect TKM clinical studies that were published in a five-year period (January 2012 to December 2016). Clinical studies of TKM when medical devices were used for diagnosis or treatment were investigated. Results. The search generated a total of 3,735 articles, and 1,328 of these were considered to be clinical studies. Of a total of 1,328 clinical studies of TKM, 774 articles (58.3%) used medical devices for diagnosis or treatment, and 554 articles (41.7%) did not use medical devices for diagnosis or treatment. The three most used diagnostic devices were as follows: MRI scanners, which were used in 194 (20.6%) studies; X-ray machines, which were used in 172 studies (18.3%); and CT scanners, which were used in 139 studies (14.8%). The three most used treatment devices were electroacupuncture equipment (20.3%), transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) equipment (18.4%), and interferential current therapy (ICT) equipment (16.4%). Conclusions. This study suggests that TKM doctors use diagnostic information derived from modern medical devices clinically. It is therefore necessary to institutionalize considering changes to the medical acts of traditional medicine (TM) doctors. Additionally, this information can be utilized as a reference for developing TM policy and education.