Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives

Ok Park

6 Articles

Early Intervention Reduces the Spread of COVID-19 in Long-Term Care Facilities in the Republic of Korea: Shin Young Park, Gawon Choi, Hyeyoung Lee, Na-young Kim, Seon-young Lee, Kyungnam Kim, Soyoung Shin, Eunsu Jang, YoungSin Moon, KwangHwan Oh, JaeRin Choi, Sangeun Lee, Young-Man Kim, Jieun Kim, Seonju Yi, Jin Gwack, Ok Park, Young Joon Park; Osong Public Health Res Perspect. 2020;11(4):259-264. Published online August 31, 2020; DOI: https://doi.org/10.24171/j.phrp.2020.11.4.16

3,556 View
129 Download
4 Citations

Abstract PDF: This study describes the epidemiological characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) based on reported cases from long-term care facilities. As of April 20^th, 2020, 3 long-term care facilities in a metropolitan area of South Korea had reported cases of COVID-19. These facilities’ employees were presumed to be the sources of infection. There were 2 nursing hospitals that did not report any additional cases. One nursing home had a total of 25 cases, with an attack rate of 51.4% (95% CI 35.6–67.0), and a fatality rate of 38.9% (95% CI 20.3–61.4) among residents. The results from this study suggest that early detection and maintenance of infection control minimizes the risk of rapid transmission.

Development and Utilization of a Rapid and Accurate Epidemic Investigation Support System for COVID-19: Young Joon Park, Sang Yun Cho, Jin Lee, Ikjin Lee, Won-Ho Park, Seungmyeong Jeong, Seongyun Kim, Seokjun Lee, Jaeho Kim, Ok Park; Osong Public Health Res Perspect. 2020;11(3):118-127. Published online May 20, 2020; DOI: https://doi.org/10.24171/j.phrp.2020.11.3.06

8,228 View
269 Download
14 Citations

Abstract PDF: Objectives
In this pandemic situation caused by a novel coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19), an electronic support system that can rapidly and accurately perform epidemic investigations, is needed. It would systematically secure and analyze patients’ data (who have been confirmed to have the infection), location information, and credit card usage.
Methods
The “Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act” in South Korea, established a legal basis for the securement, handling procedure, and disclosure of information required for epidemic investigations. The Epidemic Investigation Support System (EISS) was developed as an application platform on the Smart City data platform.
Results
The EISS performed the function of inter-institutional communication which reduced the processing period of patients’ data in comparison to other methods. This system automatically marked confirmed cases’ tracking data on a map and hot-spot analysis which lead to the prediction of areas where people may be vulnerable to infection.
Conclusion
The EISS was designed and implemented for use during an epidemic investigation to prevent the spread of an infectious disease, by specifically tracking confirmed cases of infection.

Review of the Incidence of Japanese Encephalitis in Foreign-Born and Korean Nationals Living in the Republic of Korea, 2007–2016: Een-Suk Shin, Ok Park, In-Sik Kong; Osong Public Health Res Perspect. 2018;9(3):126-129. Published online June 30, 2018; DOI: https://doi.org/10.24171/j.phrp.2018.9.3.08

2,406 View
99 Download
2 Citations

Abstract PDF: The Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine was introduced to the national immunization program in 1985, which has led to a dramatic decrease in the number of reported cases, but JE continues to occur in foreign nationals residing in or traveling to Korea. Although the incidence is low, this study demonstrated that more Koreans were infected with JE than foreign-born expatriates. The incidence rates of Korean-born nationals were between 0.01 and 0.08 cases per 100,000. In contrast, the incidence rates of foreign-born nationals ranged between 0 and 0.26 cases per 100,000. The incidence rates clearly showed that foreign-born expatriates were more at risk, which underscores the importance of vaccination. We recommend heightened surveillance among JE-susceptible individuals and promote vaccination among foreign-born nationals living in Korea.

A Strategic Plan for the Second Phase (2013–2015) of the Korea Biobank Project: Ok Park, Sang Yun Cho, So Youn Shin, Jae-Sun Park, Jun Woo Kim, Bok-Ghee Han; Osong Public Health Res Perspect. 2013;4(2):107-116. Published online April 30, 2013; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrp.2013.03.006

1,401 View
19 Download
9 Citations

Abstract PDF: The Korea Biobank Project (KBP) was led by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to establish a network between the National Biobank of Korea and biobanks run by university-affiliated general hospitals (regional biobanks). The Ministry of Health and Welfare started the project to enhance medical and health technology by collecting, managing, and providing researchers with high-quality human bioresources. The National Biobank of Korea, under the leadership of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, collects specimens through various cohorts and regional biobanks within university hospitals gather specimens from patients. The project began in 2008, and the first phase ended in 2012, which meant that there needed to be a plan for the second phase that begins in 2013. Consequently, professionals from within and outside the project were gathered to develop a plan for the second phase. Under the leadership of the planning committee, six working groups were formed to formulate a practical plan. By conducting two workshops with experts in the six working groups and the planning committee and three forums in 2011 and 2012, they have developed a strategic plan for the second phase of the KBP. This document presents a brief report of the second phase of the project based on a discussion with them.During the first phase of the project (2008–2012), a network was set up between the National Biobank of Korea and 17 biobanks at university-affiliated hospitals in an effort to unify informatics and governance among the participating biobanks. The biobanks within the network manage data on their biospecimens with a unified Biobank Information Management System. Continuous efforts are being made to develop a common standard operating procedure for resource collection, management, distribution, and personal information security, and currently, management of these data is carried out in a somewhat unified manner. In addition, the KBP has trained and educated professionals to work within the biobanks, and has also carried out various publicity promotions to the public and researchers. During the first phase, biospecimens from more than 300,000 participants through various cohorts and biospecimens from more than 200,000 patients from hospitals were collected, which were distributed to approximately 600 research projects.The planning committee for the second phase evaluated that the first phase of the KBP was successful. However, the first phase of the project was meant to allow autonomy to the individual biobanks. The biobanks were able to choose the kind of specimens they were going to collect and the amount of specimen they would set as a goal, as well as being allowed to choose their own methods to manage their biobanks (autonomy). Therefore, some biobanks collected resources that were easy to collect and the resources needed by researchers were not strategically collected. In addition, there was also a low distribution rate to researchers outside of hospitals, who do not have as much access to specimens and cases as those in hospitals. There were also many cases in which researchers were not aware of the KBP, and the distribution processes were not set up to be convenient to the demands of researchers.Accordingly, the second phase of the KBP will be focused on increasing the integration and cooperation between the biobanks within the network. The KBP plans to set goals for the strategic collection of the needed human bioresources. Although the main principle of the first phase was to establish infrastructure and resource collection, the key objective of the second phase is the efficient utilization of gathered resources. In order to fully utilize the gathered resources in an efficient way, distribution systems and policies must be improved. Vitalization of distribution, securing of high-value resource and related clinical and laboratory information, international standardization of resource management systems, and establishment of a virtuous cycle between research and development (R&D) and biobanks are the four main strategies. Based on these strategies, 12 related objectives have been set and are planned to be executed.

National Biobank of Korea: Quality control Programs of Collected-human Biospecimens: Jae-Eun Lee, Ji-Hyun Kim, Eun-Jung Hong, Hye Sook Yoo, Hye-Young Nam, Ok Park; Osong Public Health Res Perspect. 2012;3(3):185-189. Published online June 30, 2012; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrp.2012.07.007

1,436 View
15 Download
16 Citations

Abstract PDF: Personalized medicine is emerging as a main paradigm for risk prediction, pre-diagnosis, and effective prevention and treatment of disease. A large number of human biospecimens and their clinical data are essential resources for the success of personalized medicine as well as other biomedical research. The National Biobank of Korea (NBK) has collected well-annotated and high quality human biospecimens, and distributes them to the Korean biomedical scientists, through the Korea Biobank Project (KBP). The ultimate goal of NBK activities is to promote biomedical research and public health. As of December- 2011, the NBK has collected various human biospecimens from 525,416 participants including 325,952 Korean populations and 199,464 patients. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the KBP and quality control programs for collection of human biospecimens with high quality of NBK.

Opening of the National Biobank of Korea as the Infrastructure of Future Biomedical Science in Korea: Sang Yun Cho, Eun Jung Hong, Jung Min Nam, Bogkee Han, Chaeshin Chu, Ok Park; Osong Public Health Res Perspect. 2012;3(3):177-184. Published online June 30, 2012; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrp.2012.07.004

1,491 View
22 Download
24 Citations

Abstract PDF: On April 26, 2012, the Korea National Institute of Health officially held the opening ceremony of newly dedicated biobank building, ‘NationalBiobank of Korea’. The stocked biospecimens and related information have been distributed for medical and public health researches. The Korea Biobank Project, which was initiated in 2008, constructed the Korea Biobank Network consisting of the National Biobank of Korea (NBK) with 17 regional biobanks in Korea. As of December 2011, a total of 525,416 biospecimens with related information have been secured: 325,952 biospecimens from the general population obtained through cohort studies and 199,464 biospecimens of patients from regional biobanks. A large scale genomic study, Korea Association Resource (KARE) and many researches utilized the biospecimens secured through Korea Genome Epidemiology Study (KoGES) and Korea Biobank Project (KBP). Construction of ‘National Biobank of Korea’, a dedicated biobank building at Osong means that NBK can manage and check quality of the biospecimens with promising distribution of 26 million vials of biospecimen, which provide the infrastructure for the development of health technology in Korea. The NBK and the National Library of Medicine (to be constructed in 2014) will play a central role in future biomedical research in Korea.

Author index