▲ Korea University Anam Hospital Department of Family Medicine Professor Kim Yang-Hyun

The Department of Family Medicine aims to provide comprehensive and personalized medical services to patients regardless of gender, age, and type of disease. Recently, due to the increase in the aging and obese populations, the number of patients with complex diseases that are difficult to handle in one department has increased, and the need for a family medicine department is gradually emerging.

The best doctor in patient experience

A primary care physician for patients and families

Korea University Anam Hospital Department of Family Medicine Professor Kim Yang-Hyun  has worked almost 20 years in this single field.

The department opened in 1992 in the hospital and has provided comprehensive and personalized medical services to patients regardless of gender, age, and type of disease. The department in particular runs Geriatrics Clinic, Travel Medicine Clinic, Smoking Cessation Clinic, and Obesity Clinic alongside the vast areas to deal with. 

He has practiced for numerous people in obesity, smoking cessation, metabolic syndrome, health promotion, and osteoporosis. He says, “In the case of the local family medicine department where we see primary care, they solve simple things first, but we have a lot of people with more complex conditions. So I look at the patients and if it’s okay to go to another department, I’m also in the business of clearing that traffic.” The Department of Family Medicine at Korea University spends about 30 minutes on the treatment if they are first-time patients. Thanks to this, Professor Kim was selected as the Family Doctor of the Year by the Korean Academy of Family Medicine in 2015 and is trusted and highly evaluated by patients. In particular, he was selected as the No. 1 ‘Outstanding Patient Experience Doctor’ in June 2022.

Active research on family medicine and obesity

Winning 2022 Koui Medicine Award

Professor Kim continues various activities in the field of research in addition to medical treatment. He has authored and published various papers on family medicine and obesity domestically and internationally, and has written <Menopause and Metabolic Syndrome >, <Metabolic Syndrome Counseling Guidebook>, and <Korean Obesity Society Medical Guidebook>.

He was particularly highly evaluated in the field of obesity, and in 2021, he was awarded the Korean Obesity Society’s Moon Seok Research Grant. He won the award for his research project titled “Effect of Phentermine-Topiramate Combination on Changes in Total Microbial Milk and Weight Loss and Metabolic Function Decline in Korean Obese Patients.” 

Professor Kim, together with Professor Son Min-sung and Professor Seo Min-hee, identified the relationship between long-term sedentary lifestyle and obesity and diabetes, and the correlation between weekday and weekend sleep discrepancies and obesity. The results of the study showed that among Koreans who suffer from sleep discrepancies on weekends and during the week, the risk of obesity in economically inactive men is associated with sleep discrepancies, and it was concluded that elderly men over 60 years of age who are not economically active need special attention. He also continues his research and training at the University of California, San Diego. For these research results, he was awarded the Koui Medicine Award in 2022.

Importance of the ability to move

A regular medical examination must needed

In an interview with us, Professor Kim advised that developing the “ability to move the body” is important for health. He says, “There are times when you can’t move for a variety of reasons, such as age or post-surgery complications, and you often have problems because you need a companion to move. That’s why joint and weight management is so important.” He advised that especially in the case of obese people in the elderly, even if they lose weight, they often lose muscle along with fat, so it is necessary to be careful from a young age because dieting can lead to a decrease in muscle quality and function.

He also advised on the importance of regular health checkups. He says, “There is no country with a good screening system like Korea. It is very important that you receive what the country tells you to do, and if you find a problem, you get a check-up. Especially for the elderly, it is recommended that you take care of your health regularly and have regular check-ups. You need to improve your mobility and check your health so you can live a long and healthy life.” Meanwhile, the Department of Family Medicine at Korea University Anam Hospital is planning a senior all-in-one medical center that can solve the health problems of the elderly at once in order to keep pace with the increase in the elderly population and promote the health and welfare of the elderly.