Objective: The scope of healthcare has been expanding from caring for sick people to keeping people from becoming sick, and telemedicine will play a significant role in this new healthcare paradigm. This study investigated consumer preferences and willingness to pay for attributes of telemedicine services in South Korea. A market simulation was conducted to examine the market shares of alternative services and their relationships to the perceived usefulness of service types and preferred device types. Materials and Methods: Using a conjoint survey, we collected data on consumer preferences for six telemedicine service attributes. Data analysis used the Baysian mixed logit model. The market simulation estimated the probabilities of a specific service alternative being chosen using estimated model coefficients. Results: Wearable devices were the most preferred, followed by smart-home and smartphone devices. Consumers perceived managing blood glucose to be the most useful telemedicine service, followed by monitoring oxygen saturation and blood pressure. The market simulation indicated that consumer preferences for device types were associated with the types of chronic diseases for which management through telemedicine services is perceived to be useful. Conclusions: As the focus of healthcare moves from treating patients to keeping individuals healthy, a key factor for the successful deployment of telemedicine services is understanding consumer perceptions and attitudes. The results of this study revealed the dynamics of consumer preferences with regard to service attributes.

In order to improve the health status of adolescents, studies are needed to illuminate the essence of their general and dietary lifestyle. Thus, we conducted this study to verify meaningful relationships between adolescent usage of social media (USM), which plays an important role in their life, their food consumption behavior (FCB), and their dietary satisfaction. This study used two analysis methods: t-tests and structural equation modeling (SEM). This study verified whether there was a significant difference in adolescent FCB depending on their USM using t-tests. This study proposes that the following FCBs showed significant differences between users and non-users of social media in adolescents: a tendency to try new types of food (t = 2.134, p < 0.05), a tendency to avoid foods with harmful risks such as suspected spoilage (t = 3.513, p < 0.001), a tendency to eat bread or fruit for a simple breakfast (t = −3.893, p < 0.001), and a tendency to often use home meal replacements (HMR), eat out or have food delivered (t = −3.245, p < 0.01). Furthermore, this study used SEM to verify the causal relationship between adolescent USM and their dietary satisfaction. According to the results of SEM, adolescents’ USM mediated by the FCB of preferring convenience fully mediates the negative relationship between adolescent USM and their dietary satisfaction (p < 0.01). It is necessary to reverse the situation in which adolescent dietary satisfaction decreases as their FCB of preferring convenience increases. Government regulations for food companies and autonomous efforts for quality improvements on their part are needed.

Few studies have investigated whether dual sensory impairment (DSI) adversely affects the deterioration of physical function in older adults compared to single sensory impairment (SSI, visual or auditory). We studied the association between DSI and declining physical function by analyzing the data of 2780 Korean community-dwelling adults aged 70–84 years. Sensory impairment was assessed through pure tone audiometry and visual acuity testing. Muscle strength (handgrip strength) and physical performance (timed up and go test and short physical performance battery (SPPB)) were evaluated. In the cross-sectional analysis, DSI was associated with higher odds of having low muscle strength (odds ratio (OR), 1.78; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.27–2.48) and poor physical performance (SPPB: OR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.38–3.00) than SSI. Among all sensory impairment groups in the longitudinal analysis, DSI at baseline increased the risk of deteriorating physical performance during the follow-up period (OR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.31–2.88; p < 0.01) the most. DSI showed a more severe adverse effect on the decline in physical function among community-dwelling older adults than SSI. More comprehensive care is needed to prevent the deterioration of physical function in older adults due to DSI.

In the science and technology-based biopharmaceutical industry, the gap between advanced countries and developing countries is large. What is interesting recently is that a latecomer such as Korea in the biopharmaceutical industry has an opportunity to make a quantum jump through new to a business model. This study investigated latecomer firms’ catching up with advanced European and American firms in the biopharmaceutical industry, focusing on the cases of Celltrion and Samsung Biologics, which are representative Korean biopharmaceutical firms. In terms of profitability, as determined by EBITDA margin, Samsung Biologics has overtaken Lonza and Catalent. In terms of firm value, Samsung Biologics has overtaken Catalent. Celltrion surpassed all firms in 2017 and 2018, however it has been caught up by Catalent since 2020. In the Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) management, Korean firms ranked lower grades than European and American firms. The driving force of the catching-up strategy revealed by this study is as follows: (1) utilize changes in the industrial structure and environment, (2) maximize the capabilities of the innovation system, (3) make strategic choices and (4) secure an independent and stable position in the relevant field.

In order to bridge the gap between the rapid changes in technology and the healthcare environment, and to alleviate the burden on nursing tasks, the need for change management must be recognized. Understanding nurses' perceptions of generative AI is essential for the successful implementation of nursing change management. However, existing studies are mostly exploratory in nature, focusing on the utility and applications of generative AI technology. There is a lack of research on its implications for the nursing environment and nursing management. The purpose of this study is to explore in depth the perceptions of nurses at cancer specialty hospitals regarding the application of generative AI, as well as the environmental and contextual factors involved. This study conducted in-depth interviews with nurses at A Hospital, the first cancer specialty hospital in South Korea, from July to August 2024. The questionnaire was developed based on clinical nursing practice guidelines, and participants were selected considering the various characteristics and situations of nursing tasks. First, nurses at cancer specialty hospitals recognized change management factors in the areas of 'basic nursing,' 'therapeutic intervention,' 'nursing during examinations,' 'infection control,' and 'nursing administration.' Second, limitations of change management, such as 'decline in nursing proactivity,' 'difficulties in building rapport with patients,' 'difficulties in providing personalized nursing care,' 'patient information breach' and 'unclear accountability,' were identified. Third, preparation strategies for change management, such as 'nurse competency improvement,' 'legal protection,' 'establishing standardized processes,' and 'awareness improvement,' were identified. Based on the research findings, academic and practical implications for the application of generative AI in nursing and strategies to enhance nurses' readiness for its implementation are presented.