Development of a Manual for Disaster Medical Support Using Korean Medicine for Disaster Survivors

Experience and Prior-Education in Medical Volunteering among Korean Medicine Students: a survey study

Objectives

Medical volunteer activities of the college of Korean medicine (KM) are stipulated in Article 19 of the enforcement regulations of the medical law (medical practice of medical students, etc.). At D University, 31.8% of students are participating in medical volunteer activities during the summer vacation. Through students belonging to the three clubs, we would like to investigate and analyze the experience and form of medical service, participation motivation, satisfaction, mental growth, progress of prior education, and needs for improvement.

Methods

Out of 289 students at D University, 92 students participated in summer medical volunteer activities through three clubs during July 2024. An online survey was conducted from July 30 to August 7, 2024, with 55 students responding (response rate 59.8%). The questions in the survey consisted of a total of 22 questions based on previous studies.

Results

The main purpose of participation in medical service by KM university students was to gain new knowledge or experience. 90.9% of students were satisfied with the medical volunteer activities. Pre-education for medical volunteer activities was conducted to all students, and only 11.5% of students took formal pre-education at the school level. 67.3% of students answered that there was a need for improvement in regular school classes in acquiring prior knowledge, and in particular, there were many responses from 1st∙2nd graders of KM course.

Conclusion

This study identifies the strengths and weaknesses of medical volunteer activities among KM students. While satisfaction is high (90.9%), the reliance on informal preparation indicates a need for formal support and training in the curriculum. With 70.9% interested in lifelong volunteering, improving structured programs could enhance educational outcomes and community healthcare engagement.

Trajectories of quality of life among disaster victims: A national longitudinal study

AIM

This study categorized quality-of-life trajectories among disaster victims in South Korea and identified the characteristics and predictors of each trajectory.

BACKGROUND

Disaster victims experience tremendous physical and mental distress, which has a long-term impact on their quality of life.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study using data obtained from the fourth Long-term Survey on the Change of Life of Disaster Victims conducted from 2017 to 2019. The study included 257 participants who experienced a typhoon, earthquake, or fire and completed the three-year follow-up. Latent transition analysis was used to identify the potential class of quality-of-life trajectories among disaster victims. Independent t tests, χ2 tests, and logistic regression were used to identify the predictors of quality-of-life trajectories.

RESULTS

Two latent quality-of-life classes were identified: persistent low-level and persistent high-level. Factors associated with the persistent high-level trajectory included higher education level, no injury/disease from the disaster, better subjective health status, higher social support, and lower social maladjustment.

DISCUSSION

Quality of life early after a disaster is maintained throughout subsequent years; early and active support following disasters is essential to promote its rapid improvement.

CONCLUSION

Targeted educational programs in disaster-prone areas are recommended to bolster resilience among individuals with lower education. Moreover, governmental and institutional efforts are needed to support victims who lack resources for disaster recovery.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

There is a need to establish community-based social support systems and enhance nurses' disaster response capabilities to support vulnerable groups, with such interventions tailored to reflect disaster-affected victims' unique characteristics and needs, along with ongoing research and evaluation for continuous improvements to nursing practice and disaster response.

Feasibility of Emotional Freedom Techniques in Patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: a pilot study

Objectives

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent mental health condition, and techniques using sensory stimulation in processing traumatic memories have gained attention. The Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is a psychotherapy that combines tapping on acupoints with exposure to cognitive reframing. This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility of EFT as a treatment for PTSD by answering the following research questions 1) What is the compliance and completion rate of patients with PTSD with regard to EFT protocol? Is the dropout rate reasonable? 2) Is the effect size of EFT protocol for PTSD sufficient to justify a future trial?

Methods

Thirty participants diagnosed with PTSD were recruited. They received weekly EFT sessions for five weeks, in which they repeated a statement acknowledging the problem and accepting themselves while tapping the SI3 acupoint on the side of their hand. PTSD symptoms were evaluated using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) before and after the intervention.

Results

Of the 30 PTSD patients (mean age 34.1 ± 9.1, 80% female), 96.7% showed over 80% compliance to the EFT sessions, and 86.7% completed the entire study process. The mean PCL-5 total score decreased significantly after the intervention, with a large effect size (change from baseline -14.33 [95% CI -19.79, -8.86], p < 0.0001, d = 1.06).

Conclusion

The study suggests that EFT is a feasible treatment for PTSD, with high session compliance and low dropout rates. The effect size observed in this study supports the need for a larger trial in the future to further investigate EFT as a treatment for PTSD. However, the lack of a control group and the use of a self-rated questionnaire for PTSD symptoms are limitations of this study. The findings of this pilot study can be used to plan a future trial.