Therapeutic Effect of Intense Pulsed Light of Dry Eye with Meibomian Gland Dysfunction

Purpose@#To evaluate the therapeutic effect of intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy for the treatment of dry eye with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). @*Methods@#A retrospective study was conducted for 124 eyes of 62 patients with dry eye with MGD who underwent 3 IPL sessions at 3 week intervals. All patients underwent clinical examination before and during treatment as well as 3 weeks after the last treatment. Measured parameters include Meibomian gland expressibility (MGE), Meibomian gland secretion (MGS) score, tear meniscus height (TMH), noninvasive break-time (NIBUT), corneal staining score (Oxford scale), Ocular Surface Diseases Index (OSDI), and subjective ocular discomfort improvement. @*Results@#Meibomian gland function (MGE, MGS), ocular surface parameters (NIBUT, Oxford scale) and dry eye symptom (OSDI, subjective ocular discomfort improvement) of patients were significantly improved from baseline to after the 1st IPL, and the 3rd IPL weeks (p < 0.05 for all). However, no significant difference in TMH was observed. @*Conclusions@#This study showed that IPL was a useful and effective treatment in patients of dry eye with MGD to stabilizes the tear film and improve meibomian gland function and ocular symptoms.

Therapeutic Effect of Intense Pulsed Light of Dry Eye with Meibomian Gland Dysfunction

Purpose@#To evaluate the therapeutic effect of intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy for the treatment of dry eye with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). @*Methods@#A retrospective study was conducted for 124 eyes of 62 patients with dry eye with MGD who underwent 3 IPL sessions at 3 week intervals. All patients underwent clinical examination before and during treatment as well as 3 weeks after the last treatment. Measured parameters include Meibomian gland expressibility (MGE), Meibomian gland secretion (MGS) score, tear meniscus height (TMH), noninvasive break-time (NIBUT), corneal staining score (Oxford scale), Ocular Surface Diseases Index (OSDI), and subjective ocular discomfort improvement. @*Results@#Meibomian gland function (MGE, MGS), ocular surface parameters (NIBUT, Oxford scale) and dry eye symptom (OSDI, subjective ocular discomfort improvement) of patients were significantly improved from baseline to after the 1st IPL, and the 3rd IPL weeks (p < 0.05 for all). However, no significant difference in TMH was observed. @*Conclusions@#This study showed that IPL was a useful and effective treatment in patients of dry eye with MGD to stabilizes the tear film and improve meibomian gland function and ocular symptoms.

A Study of Factors Related to Korean Physicians' Trust in the Government: On the Target for Board Members of Physicians' Associations / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the factors related to Korean physicians' trust in the government. METHODS: We used structured questionnaires that were composed of multidimensional scales for each of the various categories. RESULTS: The recognition levels of trust of the government by Korean physicians were not high, and they ranged from 3.6 to 4.8 for ten scales. The factors related to trust in the government were categorized into seven factors on the basis of a factor analysis. On the regression analysis, a positive relationship was found between "the individual propensity to trust" and trust in the government, while a negative relationship was found between "the recognition level regarding the government as an authoritarian power" and trust in the government. "Confidence about participation in the policy process" as internal efficacy and "belief in governmental ability and motivation toward public demand" as external efficacy also showed a strong positive relationship with trust in the government. CONCLUSIONS: From these results, we can draw the conclusion that making efforts to improve the recognition level of trust in the government among physicians is an important policy task. To increase the trust level, participation of physicians in the policy process in various ways and open communication between the physicians'associations and the government should be facilitated.

Comparative Analysis of the Role of Beliefs in the Causes of Illness and Attitudes toward Medical Services in University Students from Disparate Specialties / 한국의학교육

PURPOSE: This study aims to compare and investigate the differences in beliefs with regard to the cause of illnesses, medial skepticism, and attitudes toward medical care between medical, Oriental medical, and nonmedical students. METHODS: To this end, we used a structured questionnaire and collected self-reported data from a sample of 667 respondents. RESULTS: First, their beliefs on the causes of illness were markedly different, depending on their specialty. Compared with students from other specialties, Oriental medical students ranked host factors, environmental factors, and natural factors as the highest causes of illness. -the former group regarded supernatural factors as a more influential cause of illnesses compared with the latter. Among Oriental medical students and nonmedical students-who were also subdivided into the aforementioned groups-the upper-grade group regarded host factors as a higher cause of illness than the lower-grade group. Second, Medical skepticism also differed depending on specialty. Compared with the medical students, Oriental medical students were more likely to have high confidence in "overcoming illnesses", "home remedies", "self-decision in treatments", and "understanding their own health". In subdividing medical and Oriental medical students according to grade we observed that the senior group had more confidence in home remedies than the junior group. Third, In an analysis of the students attitudes toward medical care, we found that nonmedical students had the highest score in the "care-oriented" and "cure-oriented" attitude categories. In the overall results, the care-oriented category ranked highest for the nonmedical students, followed by Oriental medical students and medical students; the cure-oriented category ranked highest for nonmedical students, followed by medical students and then Oriental medical students. CONCLUSION: Based on our results, we conclude that these differences between specialties should be reflected in medical curricula to bridge the gap between patients and doctors in medical education with regard to the causes of illness and attitudes toward medical care.

Comparative Analysis of the Role of Beliefs in the Causes of Illness and Attitudes toward Medical Services in University Students from Disparate Specialties / 한국의학교육

PURPOSE: This study aims to compare and investigate the differences in beliefs with regard to the cause of illnesses, medial skepticism, and attitudes toward medical care between medical, Oriental medical, and nonmedical students. METHODS: To this end, we used a structured questionnaire and collected self-reported data from a sample of 667 respondents. RESULTS: First, their beliefs on the causes of illness were markedly different, depending on their specialty. Compared with students from other specialties, Oriental medical students ranked host factors, environmental factors, and natural factors as the highest causes of illness. -the former group regarded supernatural factors as a more influential cause of illnesses compared with the latter. Among Oriental medical students and nonmedical students-who were also subdivided into the aforementioned groups-the upper-grade group regarded host factors as a higher cause of illness than the lower-grade group. Second, Medical skepticism also differed depending on specialty. Compared with the medical students, Oriental medical students were more likely to have high confidence in "overcoming illnesses", "home remedies", "self-decision in treatments", and "understanding their own health". In subdividing medical and Oriental medical students according to grade we observed that the senior group had more confidence in home remedies than the junior group. Third, In an analysis of the students attitudes toward medical care, we found that nonmedical students had the highest score in the "care-oriented" and "cure-oriented" attitude categories. In the overall results, the care-oriented category ranked highest for the nonmedical students, followed by Oriental medical students and medical students; the cure-oriented category ranked highest for nonmedical students, followed by medical students and then Oriental medical students. CONCLUSION: Based on our results, we conclude that these differences between specialties should be reflected in medical curricula to bridge the gap between patients and doctors in medical education with regard to the causes of illness and attitudes toward medical care.

How Are Consumers, Service and Market Factors Related to Customer Loyalty in Medical Service?: Targeting the Medical Consumer in a City / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to explore customer royalty and the related factors. METHODS: 900 households(a 1% sample) were randomly selected from the total population of K city located in Kangwon province. An interview survey was performed with using a structured questionnaire for the subjects(923 persons) who had used medical service during the year before the survey, and the survey was done September, 2002. RESULTS: When comparing the relating factors related with customer royalty according to the sociodemographic characteristics, the older group showed a significantly higher level of recognition for service quality, service reputation, internal customers.attitudes and switching cost. The lower income group showed a higher level of recognition for service quality, service image and switching cost. The lower educated group showed a higher level of recognition for service reputation, service image and internal customers.attitudes. The higher educated group showed a higher level of recognition for perceived risk, and seeking variety. In addition, the expert group or the service and manufacturing workers group showed a higher level of recognition for service involvement. On multiple regression analysis, internal customers' attitudes, service image, service reputation, service quality, switching cost, and substitutability showed significant relations with customer loyalty. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that customer loyalty was significantly influenced by service factors like internal customers' attitudes, service image, service reputation, and service quality, and by market factors like switching cost, and substitutability. The results of this study can be used as a baseline for developing strategies to create and keep customers with high loyalty.