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This study analyzed advertisement images targeting international audiences of South Korean medical facilities (traditional Korean and conventional medicine) participating in Medical Korea 2015 using thematic content analysis. The image categories most often used in conventional medicine were medical procedures, facilities, and staff photos, while those for traditional Korean medicine were medical procedures, staff photos, and images. Conventional medicine consistently presented high SERVQUAL tangibility scores, whereas Korean medicine displayed distinct associations between SERVQUAL categories and image size. Analyses suggested specialty preference by language. These findings may be used to recognize key messages in medical tourism and contribute to its systematic promotion.Abbreviations: KHIDI: Korea health industry development institute; SERVQUAL: service quality

ObjectivesTo assess medical care and costs of the 3 highest prevalence lumbar disorders—non-specific low back pain (nLBP), intervertebral disc disorder (IDD) and spinal stenosis (SS)—from national billing data to provide basic information for standards of appropriate management.DesignRetrospective analysis of National Health Insurance National Patient Sample data provided by the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA).Setting2011 claims data from all medical institutions which filed billing statements to HIRA.ParticipantsA total of 135 561 patients with lumbar disorder who received medical services during 2011.Outcome measuresPatient characteristics, medical procedures, medication, cost, injection and surgery.ResultsIn the nLBP and IDD groups, the 50–59 age range had the highest prevalence, whereas prevalence increased with age in SS. All 3 groups showed a higher percentage in women. The average treatment cost was 196 552 KRW in the nLBP and 362 050 KRW in the IDD group, and highest in the SS group at 439 025 KRW. While in the nLBP group women spent more on medical expenses, in the other 2 groups men showed higher expenditure. Expenditure grew with age in the nLBP and SS groups, whereas that of the IDD group peaked in their 40s. Analgesics were used in 73.43% of patients with nLBP, 82.64% of patients with IDD and 86.46% of patients with SS, and opioids in 4.12% of patients with IDD and 5.36% of patients with SS. Surgery rates were highest in the SS group at 4.85%, with 0.9% for nLBP and 4.59% for IDD. The most frequent injection code was lumbar/caudal epidural nerve block. Expenditure and surgery rates were higher in the injection than in the non-injection subgroup in all 3 groups.ConclusionsPatterns of medical care of most frequent lumbar disorders from HIRA data showed significant difference between groups and provide a basic standard for future usual care guidelines linked with health policy and budget appropriation.

While bee venom (BV) pharmacopuncture use is common in Asia, frequent occurrence of allergic reactions during the treatment process is burdensome for both practitioner and patient.This study compared efficacy and safety in isolated and purified essential BV (eBV) pharmacopuncture filtered for phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and histamine sections, and original BV to the aim of promoting safe BV pharmacopuncture use.In in vitro, we examined the effect of BV and eBV on nitric oxide (NO) production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in RAW 264.7 macrophages, and clinically, 20 healthy adults aged 20-40 years were randomly allocated and administered eBV 0.2mL and BV pharmacopuncture 0.2mL on left and right forearm, respectively, and physician, participant, and outcome assessor were blinded to treatment allocation. Local pain, swelling, itching, redness, wheals, and adverse reactions were recorded by timepoint.eBV and BV exhibited similar inhibitory effects on NO production. Also, in comparison between eBV and BV pharmacopuncture administration areas on each forearm, eBV displayed significantly lower local pain at 24h post-administration (P=0.0062), and less swelling at 30min (P=0.0198), 2 (P=0.0028), 24 (P=0.0068), and 48h post-administration (P=0.0253). eBV also showed significantly less itching at 24 (P=0.0119), 48 (P=0.0082), and 96h (P=0.0141), while redness was significantly less at 30min (P=0.0090), 6 (P=0.0005), and 24h (P0.0001). Time-by-treatment interactions were statistically significant for itching and redness (P0.001, and P0.001, respectively), and all original BV pharmacopuncture administered regions showed a tendency toward more severe itching and redness in later measurements.eBV and BV displayed comparable anti-inflammatory effects, and eBV pharmacopuncture presented less local allergic reactions.

We investigated the range and frequency of significant adverse events (AEs) in use of pharmacopuncture and acupuncture using large-scale, single-center safety data as evidence supporting safety of acupuncture with pharmacopuncture, used extensively in Asia, is scarce. Status reports (nurse records in ambulatory and inpatient care units, and administrative event records) as a part of an internal audit at a Korean Medicine hospital specializing in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, patient complaints filed through the hospital website, and medical records of patients visiting from December, 2010 (inception of internal audit) to October, 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. A total 80,523 patients (5966 inpatients and 74,557 outpatients) visited during this period. Inpatients received an average 31.9 ± 20.7 acupuncture, 23.0 ± 15.6 pharmacopuncture, and 15.4 ± 11.3 bee venom pharmacopuncture sessions, and outpatients were administered 8.2 ± 12.2 acupuncture, 7.8 ± 11.5 pharmacopuncture, and 10.0 ± 12.3 bee venom sessions, respectively. AEs associated with acupuncture/pharmacopuncture were forgotten needle (n = 47), hypersensitivity to bee venom (n = 37), presyncopic episode (n = 4), pneumothorax (n = 4), and infection (n = 2). Most cases were mild requiring little or no additional intervention and leaving no sequelae. Although serious AEs including infection (n = 2) and anaphylaxis associated with bee venom treatment (n = 3) were also reported, incidence was rare at 0.002% in infection and 0.019% in anaphylaxis. Incidence of AEs associated with acupuncture/pharmacopuncture treatment was low, and most cases were not serious. Still, however rare, avoidable AEs can and should be prevented through education and corrective action. Further prospective studies on the effect of error reduction strategies on incidence of adverse effects are warranted.

Study design Prospective observational 5-year study. Objective To assess pain, functional disability, surgical status, and health care use of patients who actively selected complementary and alternative medicine treatment and risk factors for lumbar surgery. Summary of background data Controversy continues regarding difference in long-term outcomes of conservative and surgical treatment. Methods We recruited 150 consecutive lumbar disc herniation patients with radiating pain (numeric rating scale ≥5) from November, 2006 at a Korean medicine hospital outpatient department, of which 128 patients completed 6 months of complementary and alternative medicine treatment (herbal medicine, acupuncture, bee-venom pharmacopuncture, and Chuna manipulation). Follow-up data was collected every year for 5 years. Results We assessed surgical status in 105 patients (82%), of which 8 replied that they had received surgery. Ninety-two patients (72%) attended the 5-year follow-up. Visual analog scale of back pain which was 4.19 ± 2.60 at baseline improved after treatment, decreasing to 0.94 ± 1.13 at 6 months, and was maintained at 1.25 ± 1.81 at 5 years. Visual analog scale of leg pain decreased from 7.50 ± 1.32 to 0.94 ± 1.29 and was sustained at 0.98 ± 1.73. Participants reported less disability with Oswestry Disability Index scores decreasing from 41.50 ± 15.07 at baseline to 11.24 ± 10.44 at 6 months, which then declined further to 7.61 ± 9.82 at 5 years. SF-36 quality-of-life health survey scores also improved, increasing from 33.41 ± 12.67 at baseline to 66.04 ± 15.77 at 6 months, and reaching 75.43 ± 15.79 at 5 years. In assessment of satisfaction with current state, 20% replied "highly satisfied," 67% "satisfied," 10% "fairly satisfied," and 2% "dissatisfied." Patients with younger age, previous treatment for current pain episode, and higher levels of sensory impairment and pain in the lower extremities were at higher risk of lumbar surgery. Conclusion The long-term results of lumbar disc herniation patients receiving nonsurgical complementary and alternative medicine treatment were favorable and satisfaction rates were high. Level of evidence 2.

Lumbar disc herniation is a major cause of sciatica and low back pain and imposes a heavy burden on both individual and society. While use of pharmacopuncture, a combined form of acupuncture and herbal medicine, for lumbar disc herniation is widespread in Korea and China, there is a paucity of research. This study is the protocol for a three-armed, randomized, patient, physician, and assessor-blinded controlled pilot study. Sixty patients with severe non-acute sciatic pain diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation (NRS ≥ 5, onset between 4 weeks and 6 months) will be recruited and randomized 20 each to the Shinbaro pharmacopuncture (pharmacopuncture with acupuncture), acupuncture, and usual care groups, respectively. The 2 acupuncture groups will receive 2 sessions/week of acupuncture alone or with pharmacopuncture for 4 weeks (total 8 sessions), and the usual care group will receive conventional medication 2–3 times/day and physical therapy 2 sessions/week over 4 weeks (total 8 sessions). The initial acupuncture physician will administer acupuncture at 5 acupoints (GB30, BL40, BL25, BL23, GB34) in the 2 acupuncture groups, and mark an additional acupoint. A second acupuncture physician will administer pharmacopuncture to the marked acupoint in the pharmacopuncture group, and acupuncture in the acupuncture group during acupuncture needle retention. The second physician will administer acupuncture and pharmacopuncture in a similar manner in terms of advice and manual stimulation to maintain patient-blinding, treat the patient out of view of the initial physician, remove the additional acupuncture needle immediately, and cover the area with adhesive bandage to maintain physician-blinding. The primary endpoint will be at 5 weeks post-randomization, and the primary outcome will be Visual Analog Scale (VAS) of sciatic pain. Secondary outcomes will be VAS of low back pain, Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) of low back pain and sciatic pain, ODI, SF-36, EQ-5D, and PGIC. Post-treatment evaluations will take place 5, 7, 9, and 12 weeks after randomization. This trial will evaluate the comparative clinical effectiveness of pharmacopuncture for severe non-acute sciatic pain patients diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation with usual care of conventional medicine and that of Korean medicine (acupuncture), monitor its safety, and serve as basis for a large-scale, multicenter trial. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02384928 , registered 27 February 2015.

Background Patients seek Korean Medicine (KM) treatment for a broad range of complaints in Korea, but predominantly for musculoskeletal disorders. We investigated lumbar Intervertebral Disc Displacement (IDD) practice patterns of Korean Medicine doctors (KMDs) within a hospital/clinic network specializing in KM treatment of spinal disorders through survey of diagnosis and treatment methods. Methods Questionnaires on clinical practice patterns of KM treatment for lumbar IDD were distributed to 149 KMDs on January 25th, 2015. The questionnaire included items on sociodemographic characteristics, clinical practice patterns, and preferred method of lumbar IDD diagnosis and treatment. KMDs were asked to grade each treatment method for absolute and relative importance in treatment and prognosis, and safety. Results A total 79.19 % KMDs (n = 118/149) completed the survey, and results showed that integrative care mainly consisting of acupuncture, herbal medicine, Chuna manipulation, and pharmacopuncture was administered to IDD patients. The participant KMDs largely relied on radiological findings (MRI and X-ray) for diagnosis. ‘Eight principle pattern identification’, ‘Qi and Blood syndrome differentiation’ and ‘Meridian system syndrome differentiation’ theories were generally used for KM syndrome differentiation. The most frequently prescribed herbal medication was Chungpa-jun, and most commonly used Chuna technique was ‘sidelying lumbar extension displacement treatment’. IDD patients received 1.9 ± 0.3 treatment sessions/week, and KMDs estimated that an average 9.6 ± 3.5 weeks were needed for 80 % pain relief. Conclusions This is the first study to investigate expert opinion on KM treatment of IDD. Further randomized controlled trials and clinical guidelines based on clinical practice patterns of KM are called for. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12906-015-0956-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background Chronic temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is known to have strong correlations with psychological factors and to display gender disparity. However, while chronic TMD is known to affect quality of life, large-scale studies investigating the influence on quality of life by gender are scarce. Methods This cross-sectional study assessed the data of 17,198 participants aged ≥19 years who completed chronic TMD and EuroQol-5 Dimension sections in the 4th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007–2009). We adjusted for covariates (health behavior, sociodemographic factors) in regression analysis for complex sampling design to calculate regression coefficients and 95% CIs for gender difference in the association between chronic TMD and quality of life. We also evaluated which covariates of somatic health, mental health, health behavior, and sociodemographic factors weakened the relationship between TMD and EQ-5D. Results Prevalence of chronic TMD was 1.6% (men 1.3%, women 1.8%), and chronic TMD persisted to negatively impact quality of life even after adjusting for confounding variables. Low sociodemographic factors and health behavior had a negative effect on quality of life. Somatic health and mental health were most affected by chronic TMD. As for quality of life, women were affected to a greater extent than men by TMD. Women were more affected by osteoarthritis and general mental health (stress, depressive symptoms, and thoughts of suicide), and men by employment. Conclusions These results imply that chronic diseases and psychological factors are important in chronic TMD, and that there may be physiological and pathological gender differences in TMD.

The incidence of functional intussusception is extremely rare in adults. A 23-year-old woman, previously diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM), complained of colicky abdominal pain associated with vomiting of 1-day duration. Currant jelly stool was observed. Irrespective of hydration and intravenous insulin injection under the diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), her abdominal pain and laboratory parameters did not improve. Abdominal computerized tomography (CT) revealed a jejunojejunal intussusception. We maintained large-volume fluid administration, and her abdominal pain began to subside. The stool culture was positive for Vibrio parahaemolyticus. We confirm the intussusception that was resolved by supportive management without surgical intervention in a patient with gastroenteritis and diabetic ketoacidosis.

Symptomatic cervical intervertebral disc herniation (IDH) presenting as neck pain accompanied by arm pain is a common affliction whose prevalence continues to rise, and is a frequent reason for integrative inpatient care using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Korea. However, studies on its long term effects are scarce. A total 165 patients with cervical IDH admitted between January 2011 and September 2014 to a hospital that provides conventional and Korean medicine integrative treatment with CAM as the main modality were observed in a prospective observational study. Patients underwent CAM treatment administered by Korean medicine doctors (KMDs) in accordance with a predetermined protocol for the length of hospital stay, and additional conventional treatment by medical doctors (MDs) as referred by KMDs. Short term outcomes were assessed at discharge and long term follow-ups were conducted through phone interviews after discharge. Numeric rating scale (NRS) of neck and radiating arm pain, neck disability index (NDI), 5-point patient global impression of change (PGIC), and factors influencing long term satisfaction rates in PGIC were assessed. Of 165 patients who received inpatient treatment 20.8 ± 11.2 days, 117 completed the long term follow-up up at 625.36 ± 196.7 days post-admission. Difference in NRS between admission and discharge in the long term follow-up group (n = 117) was 2.71 (95 % CI, 2.33, 3.09) for neck pain, 2.33 (95 % CI, 1.9, 2.77) for arm pain, and that of NDI 14.6 (95 % CI, 11.89, 17.32), and corresponding scores in the non-long term follow-up group (n = 48) were 2.83 (95 % CI, 2.22, 3.45) for neck pain, 2.48 (95 % CI, 1.84, 3.12) for arm pain, and that of NDI was 14.86 (95 % CI, 10.41, 19.3). Difference in long term NRS of neck pain and arm pain from baseline was 3.15 (95 % CI, 2.67, 3.64), and 2.64 (95 % CI, 1.99, 3.29), respectively. PGIC was reported to be “satisfactory” or higher in 79.5 % of patients at long term follow-up. Though the observational nature of this study limits us from drawing a more decisive conclusion, these results suggest that integrative treatment focused on CAM in cervical IDH inpatients may achieve favorable results in pain and functional improvement. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02257723 . Registered October 2, 2014.