Seven out of 10 physicians said they have been attacked verbally or physically by patients or guardians in the past three years, a survey showed.To protect doctors from violence, the medical community made several demands to the government and lawmakers. It called for removing a clause in the law that prohibits a criminal from the prosecution if the victim does not want the prosecution; adding
Some medical institutions were found to have recommended patients to remove the breast implant amid worries over breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), rare cancer. However, plastic surgeons’ group warned physicians against unnecessary breast implant removal. Kim Kwang-seog, chairman of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (KSPRS)’
Amid the mounting interests in and the use of artificial intelligence and big data with the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, an expert advised that doctors should take the initiative in developing medical AI. Choi Byung-wook, vice chairman of the Korean Society of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (KoSAIM), made these and other points at a leadership symposium titled “AI in Health
Eight Chinese medical schools have been delisted from the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDMS), a year after Oriental medical schools in Korea failed to be listed on the directory.The Korean Medical Association (KMA)’s Research Institute for Medical Policy said on Wednesday that the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) deleted eight Chinese medical schools from WDMS.The eight
As hospitals shortened internal medicine residency training from four to three years, physicians are expecting a shortage of patient care. However, hospitals have failed to prepare adequately for the shortfall and need to work out measures urgently to tackle the problem, doctors said.Some have proposed hiring more hospitalists. It is not certain, however, such hiring can solve the problem beca
A medical self-regulatory authority should aim to protect citizens, not doctors, and citizens must participate in such a body, an international expert said.Humayun Chaudhry, chair and secretary of the International Association for Medical Regulatory Authorities (IAMRA), made this and other points at the International Symposium on Self-Regulation, held as part of the Korean Medical Association’
Physicians’ collective action is already common in the world, and people should not regard it as unethical behavior, local researchers said.Research fellows Oh Young-in and Park Jeong-hoon at the Korean Medical Association’s Medical Policy Research Institute made this and other points in a contribution article published in the “Quarterly Medical Policy Forum.”“Korean doctors started to act
A lawmaker criticized the government’s naïve response to the nation’s low birthrate and called for more aggressive measures.Rep. Oh Jae-sae of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said Monday the low birthrate was regarded as a serious social issue in Japan when the fertility rate fell below 1.43 and the number of newborns a year failed to reach 1 million.In Korea, the situation was wo
Korean gastroenterologists were suffering from a high level of burnout, a study showed. Burnout refers to physical and psychological exhaustion due to prolonged work and stress, causing lethargy in the end.Doctors have various tasks, such as medical treatment, surgery, and research. Excessive work causes multiple health problems such as stress, musculoskeletal disorders, and cardiovascular and
The Lee Jong-wook Fellowship is receiving favorable feedback from trainees and health officials from partner countries thanks to its advanced training programs.The fellowship program was established to nurture healthcare professionals in developing countries, in memory of the late Lee Jong-wook, the Korean doctor who served as secretary-general of the World Health Organization.Korea Fo
After the U.S. regulator found potentially cancer-causing chemical N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in the ranitidine-class heartburn medications, including Zantac, the Korean public grew increasingly worried about carcinogen risks.To calm the jitters, the Korean Medical Association sent an urgent message to its member doctors on Monday, recommending they prescribe alternative drugs.“The gove
Korean researchers have developed an algorithm to identify wakefulness and sleep stages using electroencephalographic (EEG) signals. The researchers, led by Professors Hwang Hee and Kim Hun-min at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (SNUBH)’s Pediatrics Department as well as Professor Yoon Sung-roh of Seoul National University (SNU)’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, publ
The temple stay program, or a retreat program to practice Buddhist meditation at a temple, is conducive to enhancing mental health, a local study found.The research team, led by Kwon Jun-soo, a professor at the Psychiatry Department of Seoul National University Hospital, published the study on how temple stay affects mental health in international journals. The researchers studied 50 w
Forty-nine healthcare professionals from 10 countries have come to Korea to learn the country’s advanced medical system and clinical skills.Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) held an opening ceremony for this year’s Lee Jong-wook Fellowship Program at the Westin Chosun Seoul, Thursday. KOFIH has operated the fellowship program as a mid- to long-term training p
Korean researchers have developed a technology to diagnose solid cancer and predict its prognosis only by blood tests.The research team, led by Professor Kwon Sung-hoon of the Seoul National University’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, developed the next-generation liquid biopsy technology, jointly with the team of Professor Han Won-sik of Seoul National University Hospital’s S
Korean researchers have uncovered the cause of toxic substances in sepsis for the first time in the world, taking a step closer to developing a treatment to raise the survival rate of patients with sepsis dramatically.The research team, led by Professor Kim Hyo-soo at the Seoul National University Hospital’s Research-Driven Hospital Project Inflammation/Metabolism Unit, said it discovered that
Cenyx Biotech Inc., a startup founded by Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH)’s neurologic professor, Lee Seung-hoon, said it has raised 4 billion won ($3.3 million) in seed funding. Wonik Investment Partners, Daekyo Investment, Aju IB Investment, and CKD Venture Capital invested in the biotech company, after seeing a significant potential in Cenyx’ short-term and long-term growth potenti
The health authorities have finally acknowledged ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted breast benign legion resection, also known as Mammotome procedure, as new medical technology. The procedure had failed to get recognition twice.The National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency (NECA) sent a letter containing the result of its assessment on the Mammotome procedure’s safety and efficacy
Korean researchers have developed artificial esophagi through a successful animal experiment, drawing attention whether it could be applied to the human body shortly. Professor Chung Eun-jae of Seoul National University Hospital’s Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Professor Shin Jung-wook of Inje University’s Department of Biomedical Engineering said Monday that they transplanted stem cell
A Korean hospital information system called “Best Care 2.0B,” developed by a consortium of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (SNUBH) and EZCareTech, is operating smoothly in U.S. medical institutions.The consortium said it recently completed building the Best Care 2.0B at the Aurora Behavioral Healthcare (https://www.auroraarizona.com) in Glendale, Ariz.The recent establishmen