This study aimed to analyze the demographic characteristics and health behaviors related to chronic diseases and to identify factors that may affect chronic diseases. Data from the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used, and 3795 adults aged above 40 years were included. The following demographic variables were obtained: sex, age, education, income, type of health insurance, and private insurance. The following health behavior factors were also analyzed: medical checkup, drinking, smoking, exercise, obesity, and hypercholesterolemia. Participants with lower socioeconomic status had a higher risk of developing chronic diseases. Meanwhile, those with private health insurance had a lower risk of developing chronic diseases. In addition, participants who underwent medical checkups and performed exercises had a lower risk, while those with obesity and hypercholesterolemia had a higher risk of developing chronic diseases. It is necessary to manage chronic diseases through comprehensive programs, rather than managing these diseases individually, and through community primary care institutions to improve health behaviors.

Background: The incidence of chronic diseases is increasing owing to the aging population; in particular, older adults living alone struggle with self-management and medical expenses. Digital health can contribute to medical cost management and health promotion, but its effectiveness for older adults living alone remains unclear. In a rapidly aging society, it is important to demonstrate the effect of digital health on improving the lives of older adults living alone and reducing the burden of chronic diseases. Objective: This study aims to examine the intervention effects of digital health on self-management, quality of life, and medical factors for older adults living alone with common chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and musculoskeletal disorders through a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Methods: We searched the literature using 3 databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane CENTRAL, for literature published in overseas academic journals up to October 2024. The final 11 papers were used for analysis based on selection and exclusion criteria. Meta-analysis was used to calculate the mean difference and standardized mean difference (SMD) for the selected literature using RevMan (version 5.4; Cochrane). The effect size and heterogeneity were calculated through 95% CI. Results: As a result of conducting a meta-analysis of 8 of 11 documents, there was a significant effect of self-management factors on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (SMD=0.08; z=2.07; P=.04). However, among self-management factors, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (SMD=–0.04; z=0.91; P=.36) did not show statistically significant results. Among the medical factors, general quality of life (SMD=0.11; z=0.93; P=.35), depression (SMD=–3.95; z=1.59; P=.11), and hospital days (SMD=–1.57; z=0.91; P=.36) also did not show statistically significant results. However, it was confirmed that they improved after a digital health intervention. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that digital health interventions are effective in improving physical activity in older adults with chronic diseases living alone. However, owing to the characteristics of older adults living alone, there is a need to further expand digital health to combine care services that can manage diseases at home.

Background: As the health paradigm shifts toward patient-centeredness, patients can actively participate in their own treatment. However, there is still a unilateral aspect of doctor-patient communication, so it is necessary to specify obstacles between doctors and patients. Therefore, this study attempted to extract obstacles that block doctor-patient communication and to analyze differences in perception of doctor-patient communication.Methods: A total of 35 questionnaires composed of brainstorming for the study were distributed, and a total of 21 questionnaires were used for analysis. The collected data was analyzed by AHP using dress ver 17.0.Results: As a result of the study, doctors ranked the priority of health communication in the order of professionalism, reliability, fairness, communication, and psychologically. On the other hand, for patients, the priority factors of health communication were communication, fairness, professionalism, reliability, and psychologically.Conclusion: In order to improve the quality of health communication between doctors and patients, doctors will be able to communicate from the patient’s point of view and strengthen communication with patients by providing consistent medical services and patients need to trust the doctor and patients need to trust their doctors and participate in the medical process faithfully.

The purpose of this study is to identify factors that affect health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of older patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and suggest ways to improve the same. Through this, we will improve the self-management practice of patients and promote the treatment of BPH in older patients. The 2015 Korea Health Panel Survey data were used in this study. A total of 422 BPH patients aged 65 or older were included. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors affecting the HRQOL of older patients with BPH. General characteristics of factors affecting older patients with BPH included income level and type of insurance. In addition, among medical-related characteristics and health behavior factors, subjective health status, unmet medical care needs, moderate physical activity, sitting time, and drinking influenced the HRQOL. Therefore, in order to improve the HRQOL of adult patients with BPH, it is necessary to improve medical accessibility by strengthening primary care. In addition, it is necessary to increase the amount of activity in daily life through healthcare medical devices.

This study analyzes the factors determining the success of medical device start-ups, focusing on the healthcare sector as the starting point of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The government is also working to establish a business model to revitalize medical device start-ups as a new driving force for the economy. Accordingly, such start-ups based on innovative technologies have been actively developed, but it seems that there is a limit to growth. We employed an analytical hierarchy process to derive an activation strategy for medical device start-ups. A survey was administered to experts in such start-ups, including medical device companies and venture capital firms, prospective start-up entrepreneurs, medical device developers, and professors. A total of 18 responses were obtained for analysis. The results revealed the following priorities for the success of medical device start-ups: technical skills, marketability, entrepreneurial capacity, and funding. In addition, medical device and venture capital firms were divided into separate groups and compared and analyzed. Technical skills are considered a priority for those in the medical industry. However, entrepreneurial skills are a priority for venture capitalists. Based on these results, we suggest measures for the success of medical device start-ups.

Background: As the need for digital health care based on mobile devices is increasing, with the rapid development of digital technologies, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, gaining a better understanding of the industrial structure is needed to activate the use of digital health care. Objective: The aim of this study was to suggest measures to revitalize the digital health care industry by deriving the stakeholders and major issues with respect to the ecosystem of the industry. Methods: A total of 1822 newspaper articles were collected using Big Kings, a big data system for news, for a limited period from 2016 to August 2021, when the mobile health care project was promoted in Korea centered on public health centers. The R and NetMiner programs were used for network analysis. Results: The Korean government and the Ministry of Health and Welfare showed the highest centrality and appeared as major stakeholders, and their common major issues were “reviewing the introduction of telemedicine,” “concerns about bankruptcy of local clinics,” and “building an integrated platform for precision medicine.” In addition, the major stakeholders of medical institutions and companies were Seoul National University Hospital, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Ajou University Hospital, Samsung, and Vuno Inc. Conclusions: This analysis confirmed that the issues related to digital health care are largely composed of telemedicine, data, and health care business. For digital health care to develop as a national innovative growth engine and to be institutionalized, the development of a digital health care fee model that can improve the regulatory system and the cost-effectiveness of patient care, centering on the Ministry of Health and Welfare as a key stakeholder, is essential.