Factors Affecting Adherence to Antihypertensive Medication.

Background: Hypertension is a major contributor to the global disease burden of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. The aim of this study was to determine demographic and clinical factors associated with adherence to antihypertensive medication.

Methods: From August 2012 to February 2015, we recruited 1,523 Korean patients with hypertension who visited family physicians.

The influence of family adaptability and cohesion on anxiety and depression of terminally ill cancer patients.

Purpose: This study investigated the effect of family members on terminally ill cancer patients by measuring the relationship of the presence of the family caregivers, visiting time by family and friends, and family adaptability and cohesion with patient's anxiety and depression.

Methods: From June, 2016 to March, 2017, 100 terminally ill cancer patients who were admitted to a palliative care unit in Seoul, South Korea, were surveyed, and their medical records were reviewed. The Korean version of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales III and Hospital Anxiety-Depression Scale was used.

Prevalence of Sexual Dysfunction and Associated Risk Factors in Middle-Aged and Elderly Korean Men in Primary Care.

Although several studies have individually investigated the risk factors for erectile dysfunction (ED), premature ejaculation (PE), and late-onset hypogonadism (LOH), few studies have considered ED, PE, and LOH as categories of sexual dysfunction (SD) within the same population. We therefore aimed to investigate the prevalence of SD and its associated risk factors among men in primary care. Study participants were enrolled by 18 family physicians from 15 hospital-based family practices in Korea between August 2010 and May 2011.

The Effect of Sleep Quality on the Development of Type 2 Diabetes in Primary Care Patients.

Sleep has important effects on physical and mental health, and sleep disorders are associated with increased mortality and morbidity. This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between sleep duration or sleep quality and the risk of type 2 diabetes. The FACTS (FAmily CohorT Study in primary care) was established to investigate the relations between familial environment and health which was conducted at 22 family medicine outpatient clinics in general hospitals.

The Relationship between a Spouse's Alcohol Use Disorder and Family Communication.

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) affects not only an individual's health but also their family. This study was conducted to examine effects of a spouse's AUD on family functioning and family communication.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from 890 participants (445 couples) in a Korean family cohort in primary care.

Poor-quality sleep is associated with metabolic syndrome in Korean adults.

Sleep disorder and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are important health-related problems. Recently, sleep duration has decreased among Korean adults. In this study, we examined whether sleep quality is associated with MetS by analyzing 301 subjects, aged 20 years or over, without acute and severe illness who visited three primary care clinics.

Satisfaction and difficulties of korean family medicine resident training faculty.

Background: Practitioners of family medicine are essential to primary care practices in Korea. Resident training staffs in Korean family medicine departments have a crucial role in producing well-trained family physicians. This study assesses the aspects of satisfaction and difficulties of Korean family medicine resident training staffs.

Development of the Korean primary care assessment tool--measuring user experience: tests of data quality and measurement performance.

Objective: To develop a tool for assessing the performance of primary care services in South Korea from the patient's perspective and to test the validity of the tool under the conceptual framework of the recently developed definition of primary care in Korea.

Design: Item development for questionnaire and a cross-sectional survey for tool validation at 16 primary care clinics. All family physicians included in this study were required to have practiced at their current clinic for at least 2 years.

Defining the concept of primary care in South Korea using a Delphi method.

Backgrounds And Objectives: There is no consensus on the definition of primary care in South Korea. This study's objective was to define the concept of primary care using a Delphi method.

Methods: Three expert panels were formed, consisting of 16 primary care policy researchers, 45 stakeholders, and 16 primary care physicians.