Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science

Original articles

Emergency and Critical Care Medicine
Comparing emergency medical system governance in Japan and South Korea: lessons for high-income countries from a multisource comparative health systems analysis: Kentaro Kajino, Jung Ho Kim, Jeong Ho Park, Kyoung-Jun Song, Mohamud R. Daya, Yasuyuki Kuwagata; J Yeungnam Med Sci. 2026;43:3. Published online December 18, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/jyms.2026.43.3

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Abstract PDF Supplementary Material: Background
Japan and South Korea, two advanced East Asian nations with universal health coverage and similar demographic challenges, have developed markedly different emergency medical services (EMS) systems. Despite growing interest in international benchmarking, structured, comparative studies that yield policy-relevant insights remain limited.
Methods
We conducted a multisource comparative health-systems analysis using statutory laws, government publications, academic society reports, peer-reviewed literature, and national statistics. Key domains included EMS governance, workforce, prehospital organization, hospital-based emergency care, legal obligations for EMS patient transport and hospital acceptance, and governance and quality assurance mechanisms. Data were synthesized in comparative tables and narrative summaries to highlight structural and operational differences.
Results
Japan’s EMS system operates under decentralized municipal control through 722 fire departments, serving 4,100 designated emergency institutions with 6,139 board-certified emergency physicians. In 2023, over 6.64 million ambulance dispatches occurred, and 8.6% were classified as critical cases (1.3% death and 7.3% severe). Korea’s EMS system is centrally governed with 412 designated facilities in a tiered system and 2,464 specialists. Annual ambulance activations exceeded 3.5 million, with severe cases accounting for approximately 5% to 10%. Japan employs a multilayered legal–institutional structure, primarily involving the Fire Service Act and the Medical Practitioners Act, allowing clinical discretion, whereas Korea enforces unified regulations with stricter obligations and criminal penalties for hospital refusal of emergency patients.
Conclusion
The contrasting systems suggest that hybrid governance that combines centralized standard settings with local operational flexibility may optimize EMS performance. These findings provide lessons for EMS reform, cross-border collaboration, and disaster preparedness in high-income nations facing similar demographic and healthcare challenges.

Pharmacology, Drug Therapy, and Toxicology
Characteristics and risk factors of serious adverse drug reactions in older patients using the Korea Adverse Event Reporting System data: a retrospective observational study: Minkyung Oh; J Yeungnam Med Sci. 2025;42:66. Published online October 22, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/jyms.2025.42.66

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Abstract PDF: Background
Older adults are vulnerable to adverse drug reactions (ADRs) owing to physiological changes, comorbidities, and polypharmacy. Nationwide evidence in Korean is limited. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of ADRs and identify the risk factors for serious outcomes using the Korea Adverse Event Reporting System (KAERS).
Methods
KAERS reports from 2005 to 2015 were analyzed. Eligible cases were patients aged ≥65 years with causality assessed as certain, probable, or possible for orally administered drug. Serious ADRs were defined according to International Conference on Harmonization E2A and World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Centre criteria. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, logistic regression, and disproportionality analyses were performed.
Results
Of the 889,997 ADR reports, 118,023 involved older patients (mean age 73.6 years; 57.9% female). Organ disorders included gastrointestinal, skin, and nervous system disorders. The common drug classes were analgesics, antimicrobials, and antituberculosis drugs. Overall, 6.1% of ADRs were serious, mainly involving the hepatic and biliary systems, respiratory, and bleeding/coagulopathy. The highest proportions of serious ADRs involved antineoplastic and antithrombotic agents. In multivariable analysis, male sex was independently associated with serious outcomes (adjusted odds ratio, 1.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.24–1.43), while age group was not. Disproportionality analysis identified notable drug-organ class signals, including antimicrobials associated with application site disorders and antineoplastic agents associated with disorders.
Conclusion
Serious ADRs comprised 6.1% of reports in older Koreans. Antineoplastic and antithrombotic agents were strongly associated with serious outcomes and male sex was an independent risk factor. These results indicate a need for safer prescriptions and improved pharmacovigilance for older patients.

Medical Informatics
Barriers and opportunities in biobank utilization: insights from a 3-year repeated cross-sectional survey of the Female Breast and Genital Disease with Microbiome Biobank Network (FDMNet) in South Korea: Sangzin Ahn, Hwa Jin Cho, Mi-Seon Kang, An Na Seo, Lucia Kim, Kyung Un Choi, Mee Sook Roh, Eun-Young Kim; J Yeungnam Med Sci. 2025;42:46. Published online August 27, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/jyms.2025.42.46

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Abstract PDF Supplementary Material

Background
This study aimed to document the patterns, challenges, and opportunities for biobank utilization within the Female Breast and Genital Disease with Microbiome Biobank Network (FDMNet) in South Korea. Annual surveys (2022–2024) assessed researcher awareness, utilization patterns, barriers to access, research requirements, and interest in microbiome research.
Methods
Online questionnaires were distributed to staff members at five university hospitals participating in FDMNet. Data from 155 respondents across 3 years were analyzed using descriptive statistics for quantitative data. Qualitative feedback was examined using Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection and natural language processing to identify the thematic clusters of user challenges.
Results
Despite high engagement with biobank resources (76% of the respondents), declining participation rates and interinstitutional collaborations were observed, particularly in 2024, amid the nationwide healthcare crisis. The major barriers to utilization included complex access procedures (31.0%), lack of process knowledge (23.9%), and concerns about Institutional Review Board approval (11.6%). Breast neoplasms (12.3%) and female genital neoplasms (11.0%) were the primary research interests, with blood (24.5%) and tissue (23.9%) samples being the most requested specimens. Most respondents (66.5%) expressed interest in microbiome research but reported insufficient knowledge.
Conclusion
These findings highlight the need for streamlined access procedures, improved researcher education, enhanced clinical data integration, and stronger governance structures to overcome existing barriers to biobank utilization. These insights can guide strategic improvements in biobank operations and resource allocation to serve the evolving needs of the research community better.

Citations

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Experience in establishing the female breast and genital diseases with microbiome biobank network
Woo-Young Kim, Mi-Seon Kang, Ja Young Lee, An Na Seo, Mee Sook Roh, Kyung Un Choi, Lucia Kim, Eun-Young Kim
Journal of Medicine and Life Science.2026; 23(1): 42. CrossRef

Communications

Physical therapy, Sports Therapy, and Rehabilitation
Differences in pain treatment between the healthcare systems in South Korea and Quebec and proposals for improvements: Min Cheol Chang, Mathieu Boudier-Revéret; J Yeungnam Med Sci. 2025;42:16. Published online December 18, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/jyms.2024.01410

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Abstract PDF

After a year of exchange in Montreal, a South Korean academic physiatrist and his Canadian colleague have reflected on the strengths and weaknesses of their respective healthcare systems. They have focused more specifically on physiatrist-delivered pain medicine treatments. This article is written based on personal perspectives. It aims to present the differences between the systems in South Korea and Quebec, highlighting the issues arising from each system and providing perspectives on potential solutions.

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A Comparison of Chinese and Korean Older Adult Immigrants’ Transnational Healthcare Practices in Toronto, Canada: A Mixed-Methods Study
Leah Czukar, Lu Wang, Sepali Guruge, Janet Lum, Meira Greenbaum
Healthcare.2025; 13(19): 2493. CrossRef

Original Article

Psychiatry and Mental Health
The Comparison of Intelligence Efficacy According to Methylphenidate Administration in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) Patients.: Hyung Bae Park, Dae Seok Bai, Jeong Sang Ha, Wan Seok Seo, Chang Jin Song; Yeungnam Univ J Med. 2001;18(2):253-266. Published online December 31, 2001; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.2001.18.2.253

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Abstract PDF: BACKGROUND
The causes of ADHD(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) are various, it is impossible to understand the whole characteristics of ADHD, only with simple intellignece testing scales. We compared cognitive characteristics of ADHD group with normal controls with Korean Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children(K-ABC), It is well known to evaluate neuropsychological and cognitive aspects of the children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Age and sex matched 40 ADHD patients and 40 normal controls tested with the K-ABC. Each subscales compared between pre-treatment patients and controls, pre-treatment and post-treatment in patient group, post-treatment patients and controls. RESULTS: Significant differences are ovserved in sequential processing, simultaneous processing, cognitive processing and achievement between pre-treatment patients and controls, and in gestalt closure between pre-treatment and post-treatment patients group. But there are no significant differences between pre-treatment patients and controls in gestalt closure and reading/decoding. CONCLUSIONS: Methylphenidate improved the scores of simultaneous scale, which means improvement of executive functions such as divided attention, analysis and organization. Methylphenidate also reduced distractibility.

Review

Psychiatry and Mental Health / Social and Family Medicine
New Spectra in Female Sexology in Korea.: Min Whan Koh; Yeungnam Univ J Med. 1999;16(1):10-14. Published online June 30, 1999; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.1999.16.1.10

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Abstract PDF: The World Association for Sexology (WAS) will adopt a Declaration of Sexual Right as basic and fundamental human lights August this year in Hong Kong. Two years ago WAS has been developing a declaration of Sexual Rights in order to further promote sexual health and protect the sexual rights of everyone. Undoubtedly sexuality is one of the most intriguing subject in the area of human behavior abd psychology, and has been so since antiquity. The influence of sexual factors of human on all aspects of the society has been immense. The varieties of marriage, from traditional to the open marriage model are presented in front of our sight. The influences of women's movement in Korea, which has produced sexual, psychological, economic, political, familial and social changes look so small and the changes are not that much in America. But the profound effects of the woman's movement affect on Korean society being realized as man's view of woman and woman's view of herself undergo constant change and revaluation. With increased sexual awareness on the part of the public owing to mass media, for example AH-U-SEONG aired in TV and with increased emphasis on sexual matters in daily life, more and more physicians are being asked to deal with and manage sex-related problems in thei daily practice. Yet, despite the obvious need for informed sexual counseling, doctors are often uncomfortable about sexual matters and many physicians have no special expertise in this area. So physicians concerned in sexology especially such as gynecologists, urologists, psychiatrists and endocrinologists must realize well about sex-related knowledge which is needed for counseling the patient as medical consumer and gap between reality and ideality in sexual diagnosis and treatment. Establishment of management system for the people who have sexual problems is strongly needed to promote sexual health and protect the sexual rights of everyone and for the Sexual Rights as basic and fundamental human rights.

Original Articles

Psychiatry and Mental Health
The Study of Reliability and Validity of Attention Deficit Disorder Evaluation Scale-School Version(ADDES-SV).: Jin Woo Bae, Seung Douk Cheung, Jong Bum Lee, Hyung Bae Park, Jin Seung Kim, Chang Jin Song; Yeungnam Univ J Med. 1997;14(2):415-429. Published online December 31, 1997; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.1997.14.2.415

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Abstract PDF: The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of attention deficit disorder evaluation scale-school version(ADDES-SV). Between October 1996 and November 1996, ADDES-SV was administered to 263 elementary school students in the second grade and between Jun 1996 and October 1996, 28 attention deficit hyperactivity disorder patients. In the reliability test, the test-retest reliability coefficient was significantly high and that of inattention was 0.88, that of impulsivity was 0.80, that of hyperactivity was 0.83 and total score was 0.83. In the reliability test by internal consistancy, the Cronbach alpha coefficient was significantly high and that of inattention was 0.98, that of impulsivity was 0.87, that of hyperactivity was 0.87(p<0.05). The half-sprit reliability coefficient by first-second half method showed high correlation and that of inattention was part 1: 0.96, part 2: 0.96 impulsivity was part 1: 0.95, part 2: 0.93, hyperactivity was part 1: 0.92, part 2: 0.94(p<0.05). Inter-rater reliability by pearson correlation coefficient was significantly high and that of inattention was 0.92, that of impulsivity was 0.87, that of hyperactivity was 0.89 and total score was 0.89. The concurrent validity between ADDES-SV and CAP scale was 0.85 in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder patient group and 0.79 in normal control group(p<0.05). In discriminant validity test between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder patient group and normal control group, the patient group showed higher score(p<0.05). The total discriminant capacity of the patient group in ADDES-SV was 94.6%. In this point of view, ADDES-SV scale showed high reliability and validity in applying to Korean subjects and was proved to be the useful screening test tool for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder research.

Psychiatry and Mental Health
The Development of the Korean Form of Childhoood Attention Problem(CAP) Scale: A Study on the Reliability and Validity.: Wan Seok Seo, Jong Bum Lee, Hyung Bae Park, Hyea Soo Suh, Kwang Hun Lee, Jeong Kyn Sakong; Yeungnam Univ J Med. 1997;14(1):123-136. Published online June 30, 1997; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.1997.14.1.123

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Abstract PDF: The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of a Korean form of Childhood Attention Problem(CAP) scale. CAP were administered to 98 normal elementary school students as control group and 98 attention deficit hyperactivity disorder patients. Male students showed high scores than female students in both subscale and total scores, but not statistically significant. There were no significant difference in CAP scale between male students and female students in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder patients. In the reliability test, the test-retest reliability coefficient was highly satisfactory and that of inattention subscale was 0.83, impulsivity subscale was 0.70 and total score was 0.82. In the reliability test by internal consistency, the Cronbach a coefficient was highly satisfactory and that of inattention subscale was 0.91, overactivity subscale was 0.89(p<0.05). The concurrent validity between CAP scale and ADDES-HV scale was 0.85 in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder patient group and 0.73 in normal control group(p<0.05). In discriminant validity test between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder patient group and normal control group, the patient group showed higher score(p<0.05). The total discriminant capacity of the patient group in CAP was 93.4%. In this point of view, CAP scale showed high reliability and validity in applying to Korean subjects and was proved to be the good and simple screening test tool for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder research and can help many young patient to treat early.

Psychiatry and Mental Health
Anxiety and depression of the Korean residents in China.: Jeong Kyu Sakong, Seung Douk Cheung, Chang Su Kim, Cheol Gu Kim, Bong Jin Kim; Yeungnam Univ J Med. 1992;9(2):275-287. Published online December 31, 1992; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.1992.9.2.275

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Abstract PDF: In order to survey the reality of anxiety and depression among the Koreans residing in china, a study was conducted between January and March of 1991, on the residents of Yun-Kil city, with subjects of 472 Koreans and 479 Chinese. The evaluation was based on the questionnaires, named Combined self-rating anxiety depression scale (CADS), distributed among the subjects. ANOVA and t-test were applied for data processing. The results were as follows: There was not significant difference in the mean of total scores between the two groups. The scores of Koreans were 29.70±7.03, while those of Chinese were 29.45±9.01. The score of the CADS above 50 (clinically significant level) was seen in 12 (2.54%) Koreans and 21 (4.38%) Chinese. The anxiety-depression scores relating to the items of indigestion and decreased appetite, sleep disturbance, apprehension, decreased libido were relatively high among the Koreans. The items appeared low in scores among the Koreans were faintness, fear, suicidal rumination, hopelessness, paresthesias. The highs among the Chinese were facial flushing, anxiousness, dissatisfaction, suicidal rumination. The items appeared low among the Chinese were fear, faintness, paresthesias, weight loss, suicidal rumination. In the compatison of evaluation by items between the two groups, the items placing the Koreans significantly higher over the Chinese are indigestion & decreased appetite, sleep disturbance, apprehension, decreased libldo. The Chinese marked significantly higher in facial flushing, anxiousness, dissastisfaction, suicidal rumination. Those in the case of female (p<0.01 respectively), less than twenty years old (p<0.01 respectively), dissatisfied with family relationship (p<0.01 respectively), with past history of psychiatric hospitalization (Koreans p<0.01, Chinese p<0.05), pessimistic toward future, present, past self image (p<0.01 respectively) had significantly higher scores in both groups. In religion, neither group showed significant difference. In religion, neither group showed significant difference. In marital status, the Koreans showed a higher degree of divorce and separation and the Chinese in singleness (p<0.01 respectively). The Korean were higher in illiteracy and the Chinese had more college education (p<0.01 respectively). In place of growth, The Koreans showed not much difference in the areas while more Chinese grew up un large cities (p<0.01). More Koreans lived in the dormitory while the Chinese were engaged more in self-cooking (p<0.01 respectively), In pocket money per mouth, more Koreans were less than 1 dollar while the Chinese were between 7 and 10 dollars (p<0.01 respectively). There were no significant difference between two groups about religion.

Psychiatry and Mental Health
Transcultural research for mental health between the rural population of Nepalese and Korean.: Young Uck Kim, Seung Douk Cheung; Yeungnam Univ J Med. 1991;8(1):142-153. Published online June 30, 1991; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.1991.8.1.142

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Abstract PDF: In order to make transcultural research for mental health centered on anxiety and depression between two countries of which psychosocial factors are different, the author studied 698 Nepalese in Dolka in January 1990 and 417 Korean of Chungdo and Kyungju in Korea from July to August 1990 by using the Combined Self-Rating Anxiety Depression Scale (CSADS). The author applied t-test and ANOVA to compare these two groups. The results were as follows: The total scored of Nepalese scored 51.27±11.10 while Korean Scored 44.29±11.79. The anxiety-depression scores relating to the items of restlessness, depressed affect, apprehension, crying spells and fatigue were significantly high in Nepalese, while fatigue, sleep disturbance, dissatisfaction, dizziness, and anxiousness were significantly high in Korean. Both groups showed an increase of score with age. The item relating to education, the scores of the CSADS was significantly high in lower education level in Nepal but Korean showed no significant difference among education level. The score of the CSADS above 50 (clinically significant level) was seen in 361 (51.7%) Nepalese and 116 (27.9%) Korean, which shows the proportion of Nepalese are significantly higher than that of Korean.

Dentistry
Roentgenographic Cephalometric Study for Normal Occlusion in Korean Adults According to the Ricketts Analysis.: Byung Rho Chin; Yeungnam Univ J Med. 1990;7(2):131-139. Published online December 31, 1990; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.1990.7.2.131

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Abstract PDF: The purpose of this study was to assess the skeletal characteristics of the maxillofacial norms and the interpretation of craniofacial relations in Korean adults by applying the Ricketts Analysis. The factors of the applied lateral cephalometric measurements were composed of the 10 factor analysis (Summary Analysis) and 7 internal structures to be suggested by Ricketts. Lateral cephalograms were obtained from 60 subjects over 21 years old that consisted of 30 males and 30 females with normal occlusion, acceptable profile. The results were as follow: 1. The tables of means, standard deviations in each item and sex were made. 2. The author performed whether there was significance (P<0.05) between the registered male and female's measurement in each item.

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