Development of a Web-Site Providing Health Related Information for the Disabled / 대한의료정보학회지

The purpose of the study is to develop a Web-based health information service system for the disabled. To identify users' information needs, we conducted an online and offline survey of the disabled and their caregivers as well as welfare institutes' staff. Based on the user's information needs, a Web-site was developed. The Web-site was evaluated by users for their satisfaction with the Web-site and by experts for the quality of the site. Content of the Web-site includes information on rehabilitation, welfare, and diseases causing the disability, definition and classification of disability, prevention from disability, management of the disabled, and disability related policies. Besides this information, FAQ on the disabled, statistics, links to the disabled institutes and Web sites, risk factor appraisal tool, and aiding tools for the disabled are added. The Web site is a subsystem of the Healthguide. Users rated efficiency, convenience, and design of the site highly in their satisfaction rating. Staff at welfare institutes rated design, efficiency, and relevance of the site highly in their satisfaction rating. Experts rated easiness, reliability, clearness and appropriateness of the site highly in their site evaluation. It is expected that this Web-based health information service system for the disabled will contribute to the disabled's health promotion as well as provide a community for the disabled related researchers, professionals and experts to share information on the disabled's health.

Clinical Significance of Several Hepatic Function Tests in Hepatectomized Patients / 한국간담췌외과학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To reduce the rate of recurrence and to prevent postoperative liver failure, it is necessary to determine the extent of hepatic resection preoperatively in primary liver cancer patients. The aim of this study was to examine the clinical significance and correlation among several preoperative liver function tests. METHODS: Twenty-nine patients who underwent hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma from November 1994 to March 1995 at the Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital were analyzed. Fifteen patients had gross cirrhosis. Major resections were performed in two patients, segmentectomy in 6 patients, subsegmentectomy and limited resection in 21 patients. Maximal removal rate of indocyanine green (ICG Rmax), ICG retention rate at 15 min(ICG R15), oral glucose tolerance test(oral GTT), arterial ketone body ratio(AKBR) and computed tomographic volumetry, as well as conventional liver function test and prothrombin time were done preoperatively. RESULTS: There were significant correlations among Child's class, prothrombin time and ICG R15. AKBR, oral GTT, ICG Rmax, liver volume had no correlations with any other tests. Liver failure occurred in 2 patients(6.9%). No tests, except ICG R15, could predict the patients with liver failure. ICG R15 value of these two patients were 27% and 29%, respectively while those of the remaining 27 patients ranged from 1 to 22% (mean 11.9%). CONCLUSION: Neither standard liver function tests nor hepatic function studies such as AKBR, oral GTT, CT volumetry were useful as preoperative prognostic indicators in hepatic resection. ICG R15 test is a simple test and good predictor of liver failure after hepatic resection.