Asia-Pacific journal of public health
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Asia Pac J Public Health · Sep 2012
Legislation direction for implementation of health information exchange in Korea.
Facing national implementation of standardized health information exchange (HIE), the need for a robust e-governance system has also been emerging in Korea. Based on the Guidelines for Personal Health Information in Health Care Organizations, this article examines how recent governance encourages meaningful use of HIE technology in health care and suggests legislative directions relevant to appropriate health information sharing and the rights and responsibilities of stakeholders regarding the details of the guidelines.
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Asia Pac J Public Health · May 2012
Women's knowledge of human papillomavirus (HPV) and their attitudes toward HPV vaccine: preparing for HPV vaccination in China.
To explore women's knowledge of human papillomavirus (HPV) and attitudes toward the HPV vaccine in Zhejiang, China, women attending the checkup clinics were invited to participate. A questionnaire-guided interview was conducted with a representative sample of 1490 women, and 1432 effective questionnaires were obtained. The authors found 39.1% of women in urban areas and 27.1 % in rural areas had heard of HPV, whereas 23.7% and 15.1%, respectively, had heard of the HPV vaccine. ⋯ The authors conclude that inadequate knowledge and misconceptions about HPV are common. Attitudes toward HPV vaccine are unsatisfactory. Education campaigns targeting different populations are needed prior to the introduction of an HPV vaccine.
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Asia Pac J Public Health · May 2012
India at the crossroads of millennium development goals 4 and 5.
The current year marks the completion of two thirds of the period between the adoption of the millennium development goals (MDGs) and the target date of 2015. Although there has been some progress, it is incontestable that much more needs to be done. India contributes to 20% of births worldwide and has the highest proportion of children younger than 5 years. ⋯ Certain states continue to have unacceptably high mortality and morbidity rates. This article provides a context to the current status of maternal and child health in India, highlights the achievements, and uses the available data effectively to emphasize the progress. The authors acknowledge the new initiatives and make recommendations for reinforcing the continuum of care.
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Asia Pac J Public Health · Jan 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialYoung adult preferences for physician decision-making style in Japan and the United States.
Studies in Japan and the United States investigate preferences for patient-physician decision-making style among young adults in the context of a primary care clinic visit for an upper respiratory infection. A treatment scenario described 1 of 3 decision-making styles: a young adult and doctor using a passive (physician decides), shared (patient and physician decide together), or autonomous (patient decides from a set of medically appropriate alternatives) decision-making style. Unexpectedly, Japanese respondents evaluated the autonomous interaction most positively. ⋯ Overall, despite large cultural differences, both country samples favored higher participation in decision making. These results suggest that passive patient approaches are falling out of favor as patient-centered care expectations diffuse globally, even in traditionally hierarchic societies with high levels of respect for authority. The implications of these findings along with managerial implications and suggestions for future research are presented.