Eun-Young Choi

Objectives: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder in adolescents with significant reproductive and metabolic implications. Although East Asian traditional medicine (EATM) has shown potential in managing PCOS, no study has comprehensively compared its modalities in adolescents.Methods: This protocol outlines a Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials assessing herbal medicine, acupuncture, and other EATM interventions versus conventional treatment or placebo in adolescents (≤19 years) diagnosed with PCOS. Comprehensive database searches will include PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, and East Asian sources. Risk of bias will be evaluated using RoB2, and the certainty of evidence using CINeMA.Results: The primary outcome will be improvement in menstrual irregularity, assessed by cycle frequency, duration, and regularity. Secondary outcomes will include changes in serum hormone levels (luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, estradiol, testosterone, anti-Müllerian hormone) and the incidence of treatment-related adverse events. Comparative effectiveness and safety will be estimated using a Bayesian network meta-analysis under a random-effects model; the analysis will report mean differences with 95% credible intervals, assess inconsistency with node-splitting and heterogeneity with χ² (Q), τ², and I², and rank interventions via the surface under the cumulative ranking curve.Conclusions: This review will be the first to provide a ranked comparison of EATM interventions in adolescent PCOS. The findings are expected to guide clinical decision-making, promote safer and more effective individualized care, and support integrative approaches in adolescent PCOS management.

Objectives: This study aims to understand the current state of regional healthcare services and explore the role of public health doctors of Korean medicine (PHDKMs) in addressing healthcare disparities.Methods: An online survey was conducted among 951 PHDKMs registered with the Korean Public Health Korean Medicine Doctors Association from July 15 to July 19, 2024. A total of 266 responses were collected, and after removing 2 insincere responses, 264 responses were used for analysis. The survey included questions on the provision of healthcare services and the role of PHDKMs in local healthcare crisis.Results: Out of 264 responses, 85 community health centers and branches (32.2%) lacked public health doctors (PHDs). The traveling clinics were the most common alternative in these cases. Centers without PHDs received 46 complaints (54.1%) about healthcare gaps, while centers with PHDs received 70 complaints (39.1%), showing statistically significant differences. The most common complaints involved consultation and management of chronic elderly diseases. PHDKMs reported being capable of providing musculoskeletal and internal medicine treatments, but identified a need for improvement in emergency response, basic and inflammatory treatments, consultation and management of chronic elderly diseases, administration of medications, and vaccinations. They expressed a high willingness and perceived capability to perform minor medical tasks.Conclusion: The decline in PHDs is adversely affecting regional healthcare. PHDKMs can help address these gaps through expanded roles and additional training. Policymakers should consider better integrating PHDKMs into the public healthcare system to ensure continuous and comprehensive healthcare services in underserved areas.