Research Reporting Public Perception and Behavior with Regard to Skin Health: Results of a Survey from the Skin Health Expo in Korea / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: Healthy skin is an important determinant of the quality of life and physical and mental well-being. The demand for dermatological information is increasing not only in patients with skin diseases, but also in the general population with normal/healthy skin. However, public perception and behavior with regard to skin health among Koreans are not known. OBJECTIVE: To examine public perception and behaviors with regard to skin health in Koreans visiting the Skin Health Expo 2017. METHODS: A total of 597 participants completed a questionnaire that assessed demographics, status, and behavior for skin health and Expo satisfaction. RESULTS: Respondents with higher stress levels and a history of skin diseases showed lower satisfaction with self-skin health. Most participants considered adequate sleep and water intake to be important factors associated with healthy skin. One-on-one consultation with dermatologists was the most satisfactory among participants at the Expo. CONCLUSION: Educational tools using mass media and informative activities such as the Expo planned by dermatologists and the government are necessary to spread awareness and provide proper information to improve skin health in the general population and to emphasize the key role of dermatologists in skin disorders with a social burden.

Public Perception of Dermatologists: A Single Center Surveillance / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: Currently, physicians from different medical specialties treat patients' skin conditions, especially for cosmetic purposes. Although diagnosis and treatment made by non-dermatologists may sometimes be improper, many patients are unable to distinguish a non-dermatologist from a dermatologist. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate public's perception of dermatologists. METHODS: A total of 515 participants completed the online survey. The questionnaire consisted of three main parts: information regarding respondents, experience of dermatological treatments, and awareness of skin treatments performed by dermatologists, and by medical specialties. RESULTS: Overall, 48% of respondents were unable to distinguish a dermatologist from a non-dermatologist; however, 93% of respondents responded that they were willing to visit a dermatologist for treatment. A fair number of respondents identified dermatologists by signboards, professional biographies, and licenses. However, some non-dermatologists' signboards and biographies were considered misleading and confused patients. CONCLUSION: Many patients intend to visit a dermatologist for their dermatological treatments. However, half could not distinguish dermatologists from non-dermatologists. For this reason, we underline the importance of increasing public awareness of the dermatologist's expertise in helping patients in choosing their clinics.

Awareness and Attitudes toward Dermatologist in Korea: A Questionnaire Based Survey Targeting Dermatologic Outpatients Who Attended a Tertiary Hospital / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: Nowadays in Korea, the diagnosis and treatment of the skin diseases by non-dermatologists are surprisingly frequent, and dermatologists often encounter patients who could not distinguish a non-dermatologist from a dermatologist. Thus, misdiagnoses and complications might increase as well. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the awareness and attitudes of patients, who seek treatment for their skin diseases, toward dermatologists and non-dermatologists in Korea. METHODS: Between September and December 2014, a total 221 dermatologic outpatients, who visited Chonbuk National University Hospital, were asked to complete a questionnaire. The questions covered its accordance with their visiting intention, practical ability to differentiate a dermatologist from other specialists, criteria for choosing the clinic for skin conditions, consciousness about cutaneous treatment by dermatologists, and others. RESULTS: The ratio of male to female was 1:1.7, and the mean age was 40.5 (±13.18) years. Even though 34.8% of patients answered that they could distinguish between a dermatologist and a non-dermatologist, only 19.0% of the total patients were able to recognize the signboard of dermatologists. The most common criteria for choosing a clinic was if a dermatologist is present to administer treatment. Most patients did not want to visit a non-dermatologist for both the treatment of skin disease and cosmetic treatment. CONCLUSION: Many patients desiring dermatologic and cosmetic treatments wanted to see dermatologist; however, their ability to distinguish dermatologist from non-dermatologist was found to be very low. We suggest that the medical law in Korea needs to be improved such that the specialists are required to display a symbol issued by their own society on their signboards.

Seventy-four Complicated Cases Referred to a Tertiary Hospital in Korea after Dermatologic Procedures / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: During the last dozen years, tremendous changes have occurred in dermatologic care in Korea. Unlike in the past, dermatologic procedures, including cosmetic treatments, are now frequently carried out by non-dermatologists, oriental medicine doctors, dentists, or non-medical personnel. Procedure-related complications are increasing, but few studies have addressed this issue. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to analyze the scope of complicated cases after dermatologic procedures at Chonbuk National University Hospital. METHODS: This study analyzed the records of 74 patients with complications after dermatologic procedures that visited Chonbuk National University Hospital between January 2008 and December 2013. RESULTS: The numbers of complicated cases increased yearly. The ratio of male to female patients with complicated cases was 1:6.4, and the mean age was 44.4 years. The ratio of practitioners who treated the patients was 1u1. 6u5.7 dermatologists to non-medical personnel to non-dermatologists, and the majority of non-dermatologists who treated the patients were general practitioners. A total of 82.5% of the patients who visited non-dermatologists mistook them as dermatologists. The most common complication was a pigmentation change detected by non-dermatologists (n=21, 38.9%), and dermatologists (n=4, 44.4%). Foreign body granulomatous reactions were detected by non-medical personnel (n=12, 80.0%). Especially, laser ablations of undiagnosed skin cancer by non-dermatologists were seven times greater than dermatologist. CONCLUSION: Complications after dermatologic procedures are increasing and happen more commonly when patients are seen by non-dermatologists, including oriental medicine doctors, dentists, and non-medical personnel, than dermatologists. This study may help improve strategies for health-care safety management and quality in the dermatological field in Korea.

Study of resident dermatologist standardization training mode / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Resident doctor standardization training is the base of dermatologist training. We set up the specialist standardization training system according to our hospital's training practice. The dermatolo-gist standardization training mode was set up through tutor responsibility rule , internet learning platform and problem-based learning methods. The teaching level for dermatologists was upgraded by using above methods.

Survey of dermatologists' phototherapy practices for vitiligo.

Background: The details of phototherapy practices for vitiligo have been rarely studied. Objective: To explore the details of phototherapy practices for vitiligo among dermatologists. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire about the details of phototherapy practices for vitiligo was distributed to all dermatologists attending a national general dermatology conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2008. Results: Questionnaires were returned by 121 of 140 participants (response rate = 86.4%). The mean age of the respondents was 39.34 ΁ 9.7 years, and 65% were males. One hundred eight of 110 (98.2%) respondents provided phototherapy to their vitiligo patients. The mean number of vitiligo patients who underwent phototherapy each week per dermatologist's office was 18 ΁ 2.26. Narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) was the most common modality chosen to treat generalized vitiligo (84%). Excimer laser was the most common modality used to treat focal and segmental vitiligo (53% and 39%, respectively). Sixty-eight percent of dermatologists administered a fixed starting dose of NB-UVB to all patients, whereas 31% used the minimal erythema dose as a guide. Fifty percent reported that NB-UVB resulted in better color matching with the surrounding skin. Thirty-seven percent favored NB-UVB over psoralen + ultraviolet A for a faster response, and 31% preferred NB-UVB for a pigmentation that is more durable. Forty-seven percent (50/106) of the respondents limited the number of phototherapy sessions to reduce the risks of skin cancer. However, no respondent reported any skin cancer incidence in phototherapy-treated vitiligo patients. Conclusion: There is a need for phototherapy guidelines for the treatment of vitiligo in patients with skin of color.

Cosmetical Skin Treatment and the Treatment Nature of Skin Cosmetic / 대한피부과학회지

The medical system is turning into a general health care system recently. The change in the system increases the cooperation between the physicians and the non-physicians in reality. So it is inappropriate to punish every cooperative work between the two for unlicensed medical practice control program anymore. In order to readjust the control over the unlicensed medical practice, critically dismantling and reconstructing the concept of medical treatment must be done. The three elements of the concept of medical treatment can be constructed socially in relation to disease. When this is done under social subsystems, the ideological functions of disease and medical treatment concepts can be explained. There are three aspects to the current unlicensed medical practice control program. There is a large gap between the legal judgment and the medical rationality. Moreover, the government unnecessarily has a full control over all dimensions of the medical treatment concept, and the license system only emphasizes the status, not the essence of the medical treatment itself. The dermatologists and cosmeticians' work must be divided but done cooperatively. A way to legislate this is to draw the cosmeticians into the area of medical skin treatment. Rather than solving the problem by giving cosmeticians another status, it is important for them to cooperate functionally with the dermatologists. The government should control the `cooperative division of work' between the two indirectly, so that the civil society can function on its own disciplinary mechanism.

The Management of Diabetic Foot Ulcer by Corporation of Dermatologists and Internists: Preliminary Report / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: Recently, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and its complications have been increased in Korea and they cause many socioeconomic losses in both patients and their families. But, there are neither sufficient medical assistance including concern of medical personnel nor social assistance in Korea nowadays. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we tried to reduce the risk of amputation and preserve the function of the foot by an early evaluation, proper treatment and consultation by dermatologists. METHODS: We randomly chose 18 cases of diabetic foot ulcer and took care of them with proper and earlier debridement, dressing, antibiotics and cooporation with departments of internal medicine, especially endocrinology, nephrology and division of infectious disease. After healing of the ulcer, we recommended specially designed shoes and foot care products to prevent the recurrence of the foot problems. RESULTS: The average duration of diabetes was 18 years and preexisting complications were neuropathy, nephropathy, vasculopathy and/or foot deformities. The precipitating factors of foot ulcer were burn, callus, fungal infection, bony deformity or trauma. Three cases underwent toe amputation and one case with severe vasculopathy was transferred to the vascular surgery. Average healing time was 14 weeks. CONCLUSION: Proper evaluation and management of diabetic foot ulcer patients with multidisciplinary approach should achieve good wound healing. Consequently, it can reduce the risk of amputation and improve the quality of life in the patient with diabetic foot ulcer. Among them, dermatologists who has a point of view of both a medical and surgical doctor may play a pivotal role in the management of diabetic foot ulcer.

Dermatology at the Dawn of a New Age (1876-1945) / 의사학

It is not certain when the science of dermatology began in our country due to lack of written evidence. However, it probably began with the first establishment of new modern western style medical school in Korea in 1899. The first person who taught the science of dermatology was Dr. Ik-Nam Kim who was educated at Chikeikai Medical School in Japan and became a medical teacher after coming back to Korea in April 1900. The first known dermatologist in Korea was Dr. Kyung-Sun Oh. He entered Louisville Medical School in Louisville, Kentucky, USA in 1902 and he had internship training at Louisville City Hospital after graduation from the medical school in 1907. When he came back to Korea, he was the first dermatologist but the sixth medical doctor after Jae-Pil Seo, Ik-Nam Kim, Sang-Ho Ahn, Ester Park, and Jong-Won Park. The science of dermatology recognized as an individual course was took place in 1910 when the Uihakkyo(Medical School) was affiliated with Daehan Hospital medical school and announced as an independent course. However, there was no dermatologist in that clinic. The evidence of individual dermatology grade was shown on their grade cards in the class of 1911 which was second graduate from Severance Hospital Medical School. However, the only person taught in Severance Medical School was Dr. OR Avison who was not a dermatologist. When the Daehan Hospital was reorganized and changed name into Government-General Hospital in 1910, Hazime Arai was appointed an attending dermatologist to the clinic but he resigned immediately. The next person who was appointed a dermatologist was Susumu Watanabe in 1913 and he became a professor and chairman in the department when the school promoted to Kyungsung Medical College in 1916. Yasushi Hirota was the next person who was appointed in dermatology department when Susumu Watanabe was resigned in 1924. However Yataba Kataoka was reappointed in that department when Yasushi Hirota moved to Kyungsung Imperial University Medical School as an attending professor with new establishment of the Dermato-urology department in 1928. Isamu Moriyasu followed by Nobuhira Kusarai was the head of professors in Taegu Medical College and Tatsuo Nishiyama was in Pyungyang Medical College. All of national and state government supported medical schools were operated by Japanese chairman. The Korean faculty members in medical schools were as follows. As Korean faculty members in Kyungsung Medical College, Kyo-Chang Kim was an assistant in 1913 and Young-Sun Joo was entered as an assistant in 1916 but became a 'Wuiwon' until 1924. Won-Seok Oh was assistant professor from 1926 to 1928. After resignation from the College, he gave lectures as an instructor from 1928 to 1932. Other than Won-Seok Oh, there were two other members working as instructor in the College. Jin-Ku Hong from 1929 to 1930 and Sung-Whan Kim from 1933 to 1940 worked as instructors. There were six to seven members of Korean working as assistants besides Jae-Woong Chung. In Kyungsung Imperial University Medical School, Jae-Ui Choi started with deputy assistant in 1935 then resigned at the day when he was appointed an assistant on May 11th, 1940. Bong-Ung Kim and Ung-Yun Kim started with deputy assistants then resigned as assistants. Sang-Yo Lee, Young-Sik Cho, Byung-Hak Cho, and Tong-II Park started and resigned as deputy assistants. Doo-Sik Park, Tae-Boo Lee, and Sun-Bong Seo were the dermatologist from Taegu Medical College. Sang-Yo Lee, Tae-Ha Woo, and Moo-Seup Cha graduated from Pyungyang Medical College. The Uro-Genito-Dematology department in Severance Union Medical School was established by the first Korean dermatologist, Kyung-Sun Oh on May 14th 1917. Young-Joon Lee entered as an assistant in 1927 and became an assistant professor in 1929. He was promoted to professor in 1932 and chairman of the department in 1934. He became the 3rd dean of the Medical School in 1943. Hak-Song Lee started with title of the assistant professor in 1939 then became a chairman when he was promoted to professor in 1943. Eul-Sung Kim and Yu-Sun Yun were appointed assistants. Since 1927, about twenty doctors had been trained in the dermatology field. This was only Korean dermatology group. In Kyungsung Women's Medical College, Sung-Whan Kim was the first Professor since the College started and worked until the liberation from Japanese occupation as a chairman in Uro-Dermatology department. It is the record of the development of dermatology in Korea from 1876 to the year 1945.

Hepatitis B and the Dermatologist / 대한피부과학회지

Hepatitis B is a global health problem and an imgiortant cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in the Far East. In Korea, perinatal transmissian is presently: the most import.ant route of transmission with an almost universa.l history of past infection seen in the adult population, In future years, with the implernentation of neonatal immunoprophylaxis the population at risk will shift from neonates to older chilrdren and young adults who have failed to receive necessary booster immunizations. The need for optimal preventive practices in social are medical activities will then he increasingly more important. In this article we have reviewed some of the recent information in understanding hepartitis B, arid provided specific suggestions to asisist the ciermatologist in practiing with optimal prevention in his office. Through combined efforts the future eradication of hepatitis B may be realized.