The aim of this study was to develop a Korean medicine (KM) core outcome set (COS) for primary dysmenorrhea to evaluate the effectiveness of herbal medicine (HM) in treating primary dysmenorrhea in patients visiting KM primary clinics. Previously reported outcomes were identified through a literature review to define outcomes and effect modifiers (EMs) for the questionnaire. Experts were invited to conduct modified Delphi consensus exercises, and primary care clinicians were invited to conduct Delphi consensus exercises to evaluate suitability and feasibility. Finally, an additional round of a modified Delphi exercise was conducted with experts to obtain a final agreement on the COS. Seventeen outcomes and 15 EMs were included from a literature review, and one effect modifier was suggested by the experts (Phase 1). In Phase 2, after the modified Delphi consensus exercises by experts, 10 outcomes and 11 EMs were included in the COS. The clinicians all agreed on the feasibility of COS (Phase 3). Finally, 10 outcomes and 6 EMs were included in the COS-PD-KM after the final modified Delphi consensus exercise (Phase 4). The effectiveness of HM used in primary clinics could be evaluated with this COS in patients with primary dysmenorrhea. Further studies that involve more relevant stakeholder groups, such as patient representatives and gynecological experts, are needed.

Lifestyle and physical characteristics affect body weight, and understanding these factors improves the precision of weight loss treatment. Many obese patients in Korea are receiving Korean medicine (KM) treatment, including herbal medicine and acupuncture, for weight loss. However, the real-world data (RWD) are insufficient in terms of being longitudinal and diverse. Weight Control Registry using KM is a prospective registry study that enrolls patients receiving KM treatment for weight loss and collects RWD from multiple clinics. The patients who are eligible for this study are aged 19–65 years, receive KM weight loss treatment, understand the study objectives, and consent voluntarily. Clinical data of patient characteristics and KM treatment patterns will be regularly collected until 2026. The longitudinal accumulation of various RWD will establish a high-quality study database for KM weight loss treatment. With this study, we expect to contribute to understanding the current trend of weight loss treatment with KM and solve further questions regarding this treatment.

Facial palsy (FP) is a neurological condition marked by unilateral facial weakness due to facial nerve dysfunction. In November 2020, the Korean government launched a pilot reimbursement program for herbal decoctions, expanding insurance coverage to include treatments traditionally excluded from the national health system. This study aimed to evaluate the real-world utilization, clinical effectiveness, and safety of herbal medicine (HM) for FP within this national reimbursement program. This retrospective study analyzed outpatient claims data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) between November 2020 and April 2024. Patients diagnosed with FP (KCD code G51.0) from January 2018 onward who received treatment at Korean Medicine (KM) clinics participating in the program were included. Patients were excluded if they had fewer than two visits or incomplete treatment records. Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted to examine patient demographics, treatment patterns, symptom progression, and adverse events (AEs). A total of 3,927 patients were analyzed (2,174 females and 1,753 males; mean age: 54.2 ± 14.7). Peripheral FP was reported in 88.9% of cases. Most patients received treatment in outpatient KM clinics, with 56.2% making two or fewer visits and 36.6% initiating care within two weeks of symptom onset. Ligigeopoong-san (17.0%) and Gamiboik-tang (14.4%) were the most commonly prescribed formulas. Among patients with symptom severity scores at both baseline and follow-up (n = 2,161), 49.2% showed improvement, 45.6% remained unchanged, and 5.2% worsened. The overall AE rate was low (1.76%), with gastrointestinal issues being most frequent. Herbal decoctions prescribed under the Korean pilot reimbursement program for FP showed a low incidence of adverse events and moderate rates of symptom improvement, suggesting a potentially safe and effective treatment option based on large-scale real-world data. These findings support the continued integration of herbal medicine into national health policy. However, limitations include the absence of clinical grading and reliance on administrative data. As the second-phase program expands in scope and duration, further research should explore its long-term clinical and economic outcomes to guide evidence-based healthcare policy development.

To evaluate the feasibility of applying the Observational Medical Outcome Partnership (OMOP) Common Data Model (CDM) to databases of traditional East Asian medicine (TEAM), we composed a TEAM dataset and transformed it to the OMOP CDM. We found that some important TEAM information entities could not be transformed to the OMOP CDM (version 6.0) data fields. We suggest to develop data fields and guideline for transforming TEAM data to the OMOP CDM.

Introduction: Contractures frequently occur in the finger joints after immobilization. This report describes the effect of acupotomy treatment in patients with joint contracture due to immobilization of the finger joints. Patient concerns and clinical findings: Case 1 was of a 39-year-old male patient who had flexion limitation of the left thumb and difficulty in grasping. Case 2 was of a 41-year-old female patient who had flexion limitation of the right index finger and difficulty in typing. Stiffness occurred after tendon repair surgery and cast immobilization in both cases. In Case 1, the patient had limited flexion movement of the first metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints after 5 weeks of immobilization of the left thumb in a cast. In Case 2, the patient had limited flexion movement after 3 weeks of immobilization of the second proximal interphalangeal joint of the left hand in a cast. Diagnosis, interventions, and outcomes: We diagnosed both patients with finger joint contracture due to immobilization. Conservative treatment for approximately 4 weeks did not lead to improvement in either patient. Acupotomy is the key treatment for improving movement in Korean Medicine. Therefore, acupotomy was performed, and joint stiffness markedly improved without adverse events. Both patients reported that the daily use of the damaged fingers became comfortable. Conclusion: We found that acupotomy may be effective for finger joint contracture due to improper immobilization. We suggest it as a simple and safe treatment for joint contracture.