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. 2024 Jan;57(1):47-54.
doi: 10.3961/jpmph.23.254. Epub 2024 Jan 17.

Trends in Research on Patients With COVID-19 in Korean Medical Journals

Heejeong Choi  1 , Seunggwan Song  1 , Heesang Ahn  1 , Hyobean Yang  1 , Hyeonseong Lim  1 , Yohan Park  1 , Juhyun Kim  1 , Hongju Yong  1 , Minseok Yoon  1 , Mi Ah Han  2
Affiliations

Trends in Research on Patients With COVID-19 in Korean Medical Journals

Heejeong Choi et al. J Prev Med Public Health. 2024 Jan.

Abstract

Objectives: This study was conducted to systematically summarize trends in research concerning patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as reported in Korean medical journals.

Methods: We performed a literature search of KoreaMed from January 2020 to September 2022. We included only primary studies of patients with COVID-19. Two reviewers screened titles and abstracts, then performed full-text screening, both independently and in duplicate. We first identified the 5 journals with the greatest numbers of eligible publications, then extracted data pertaining to the general characteristics, study population attributes, and research features of papers published in these journals.

Results: Our analysis encompassed 142 primary studies. Of these, approximately 41.0% reported a funding source, while 3.5% disclosed a conflict of interest. In 2020, 42.9% of studies included fewer than 10 participants; however, by 2022, the proportion of studies with over 200 participants had increased to 40.6%. The most common design was the cohort study (48.6%), followed by case reports/series (35.2%). Only 3 randomized controlled trials were identified. Studies most frequently focused on prognosis (58.5%), followed by therapy/intervention (20.4%). Regarding the type of intervention/exposure, therapeutic clinical interventions comprised 26.1%, while studies of morbidity accounted for 13.4%. As for the outcomes measured, 50.7% of studies assessed symptoms/clinical status/improvement, and 14.1% evaluated mortality.

Conclusions: Employing a systematic approach, we examined the characteristics of research involving patients with COVID-19 that was published in Korean medical journals from 2020 onward. Subsequent research should assess not only publication trends over a longer timeframe but also the quality of evidence provided.

Keywords: COVID-19; Journal article; Republic of Korea; Research.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest associated with the material presented in this paper.

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