• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.357-366
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• 2014

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of an emergency ambulance system and to investigate socio-economic and clinical characteristics associated with emergency ambulance service. Methods: Based on 2011 Korea health panel, unmet need and inappropriate use of emergency ambulance service were measured by Gibson in 1977. Furthermore, the factors associated with unmet need and inappropriate use of emergency ambulance service were identified by Fisher's exact tests and multiple logistic regression models. Results: Unmet need, defined as the proportion of emergency patients who clinically need ambulance transportation but do not receive it, was found to be 59.8%. Inappropriate use, defined as the proportion of emergency patient receiving ambulance care who did not clinically need it, was found to be 37.2%. There were statistically significant differences between appropriate and inappropriate groups in overall variables of socio-economic and clinical characteristics. Specifically, gender, age, relationship to household, and reasons of visiting emergency department (accident/disease) were statistically significant factors associated with appropriate use of emergency ambulance service. Conclusion: Unmet ambulance need is a useful measure for patients needs assessment, and inappropriate ambulance use is a valid criteria in judging the efficiency of emergency ambulance system. To improve and understand emergency ambulance system, unmet need and inappropriate use of emergency ambulance service should be more concerned.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.99-109
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• 2014

Airline and medical industry in Korea have rapidly grown since 21st century. However, air ambulance service using an aircraft has not as popular as in Japan, Europe or United States. Central government has decided to start emergency helicopter service since 2011 to transport emergency patients transported in the past by fire fighter helicopter. Unfortunately, 32 OECD countries out of 33 have operated emergency aircraft system except Korea. There are more than 25 emergency helicopters in Japan, which can operate within five minutes. Such system could save a lot of social direct or in-direct cost by saving valuable lives of Japan citizens. This paper has tried to research the perception of overseas Russian medical tourists on using Air ambulance for their medical tourism to Korea. Researching air ambulance, this paper expects to find ways to enhance both medical tourism industry and airline, business jet industry. According to research results, it was proven that tangibility of medical tourism service has a positive effect on the human factor of air ambulance. The human factor has also a significant impact on the passenger comfortableness of air ambulance. Such comfortableness increases the overall satisfaction of medical tourism.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.129-135
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• 2008

Purpose : This study was to analyze the demand for emergency ambulance service and to characterize the factors associated with the demand. Method : The basis for the model was from the actual demand for public emergency ambulance and socioeconomic and geographic characteristics. Multiple regression analyses were done for the related characteristics of public ambulance service. Result : The model explained total demand with a high degree of accuracy : the coefficient of determination($R^2=0.96$). For the regression, the set of variables indicative of low socioeconomic status were all significant. It showed the inappropriate use of public ambulance system. Public ambulance demand increased in higher housing density, low income, male unemployment and female labor force. Conclusion : The demand for public ambulances appeared to be highly predictable, using a simple linear model employing socioeconomic variables, quality of service variables, and land use variables. Low-income families tended, to use the public ambulance system more often than higher income. Area having elderly people or children also made many calls. Estimated demand calls were stable and had a tendency to be similar incident types.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.128-134
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• 2016

The ambulance service time interval, in particular the response time, has been used as an important indicator for the quality control of ambulance services in that it can be improved to increase the probability of survival and decrease the sequela-related disability. Based on the 2011~2014 Prehospital Care Reports in a metropolitan city, this study analyzed the time interval of ambulance services considering the patient's characteristics and chief complaints. If the definition of the time of ambulance services can be refined further, and a variety of economic and social factors and local characteristics would can be analyzed, the quality of the ambulance service is expected to be enhanced significantly.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.87-97
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• 2019

Purpose: This study aimed to compare and analyze statistical data on 119 ambulance runs and ambulance crew, which are the components of the emergency medical services system in Korea and Japan. Methods: Data from National Fire Agencies of both Korea and Japan were collected and statistically compared. Results: With regard to the ratio of 119 ambulance runs, Korea's ratio has been gradually and continuously growing beyond that of Japan (Korea 4708.11, Japan 4706.47) since 2014. The ratio of firefighting ambulances in Korea was 2.59 ($2.59{\pm}0.10$), and was 4.76 ($4.76{\pm}0.12$) in Japan. The ratio of 119 ambulance crews in Korea was 15.55 ($15.55{\pm}2.03$), and was 47.24 ($47.24{\pm}1.06$) in Japan. Among the ambulance crews, the ratio of paramedics was 33.81 ($33.81{\pm}5.85$) in Korea and was 38.86($38.86{\pm}4.10$) in Japan. Conclusion: The ratio of 119 ambulance runs in Korea has already exceeded that of Japan, but the numbers of 119 ambulance crews and paramedics qualified for special emergency treatment are still insufficient. Therefore, supply and demand policy that promotes the development of the firefighting ambulance service system is necessary.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.37-43
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• 2008

Purpose : It was to improve medical direction system through presenting need of doctor and paramedic in Korean Fire Service. Methods : This study was conducted by applying demand coefficients(4 for doctor, 3 or 4.5 for paramedic) to some data on medical director, paramedic, ambulance from National Emergency Management Agency. Results : Number of medical director & paramedic were 4 & 1,217. Number of necessary doctor for medical direction was 64 or 28(in case of direct medical direction) & 16 or 7(in case of indirect medical direction). Number of necessary paramedic for direct medical direction was 492(in case of 35% ALS ambulance) & 1,062(in case of 50% ALS ambulance). Conclusions : To improve quality & efficiency of medical direction brought up need of amendment of the Emergency Medical Services Act to apply indirect medical control such as standing orders, protocol, case review.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.65-80
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• 2012

Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess the job satisfaction and turnover intention of the emergency medical technicians (EMT) in the private ambulance service, to examine their job satisfaction and turnover intention, and to provide the solution for the management of the private ambulance service. Methods: The survey was conducted with 121 EMTs (73 paramedics, 36 basic EMTs and 12 nurses) in the private ambulance service in Korea from September 15 to October 14, 2011. In the reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ was 0.790 for job satisfaction and 0.796 for turnover intention. Using SPSS 18.0, we obtained Cronbach's ${\alpha}$, frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations, and performed independent t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation analysis. Results: 1) The mean score with regard to job satisfaction was 2.94 and that of their turnover intention was 4.23. In the area of job satisfaction, the mean score of the job demand area was 4.23; 3.97 for the job itself; 3.07 for the area of interaction; 2.98 for the area of autonomy: 2.67 for the organizational demand area; 2.67 for working conditions area; and 1.73 for the wage area. 2) Statistically significant difference was observed in job satisfaction according to age (F=3.819, p=.006), wages (t=-4.640, p=.000), terms of incumbency (F=3.868, p=.011), and in turnover intention it was according to sex (t=-1.995 p=.048), age (F=9.611, p=.000), education levels (F=6.974, p=.002), marital status (t=4.393, p=.000), wages (t=5.515, p=.000), license types (F=8.481, p=.001), and terms of incumbency ( F=14.115, p=.000). 3) The job satisfaction and the turnover intention had a negative correlation to each other (r=-.56, p<.000) in general, and in the sub-7 areas of job satisfaction, the correlation with turnover intention was high in order of the wage area (r=-.61, p=.000), working conditions area (r=-.52, p=.000), the area of autonomy (r=-.49, p=.000), the area of interaction (r=-.45, p=.000), the organizational demand area (r=-.40, p=.000), the job itself (r=-.24, p=.007) and the job demand area (r=-.24, p=.009). Conclusion: The government must take the charge of lowering the turnover intention among paramedics in the private ambulance service by providing the advantage in wages and fringe benefits. Ultimately, this would bring an improvement in the quality of medical emergency services to hospitals especially in the area of patient transfer and transportation.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.106-117
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• 1996

This study aims to provide information about the acute poisoning patients transferred by 119 ambulance service for nurses and emergency medical technicians. The data is based on 119 ambulance services patients charts of Seocho area in Seoul. The results were as follows: 1. Total number of emergency patients all over the country has been nearly fourtimes in 1995 compared to 1991. Total number of emergency patients were 322.051 in 1994. 2. About $35\%$ of total E.R. patients were transferred by 119 ambulance services in Seoul in the last 5years. Acute drug intoxication patients occupied $2-3\%$ of E.R. patients in Seoul. 3. About $4\%$ of E.R. patients in Seoul were transferred by 119 E.R. services of Seocho area in Seoul in 1995. Among them $2.4\%$ patients were drug intoxication patients. 4. Data were collected from available patients of 119 ambulance services from Jan. 1993 to Dec. 1995 in Seocho area. Total poisoning patients were 184. - The female/male ratio was 69.7:30.4 and most of patients$(69.7\%)$ were in the age of 20th and 30th. - The busy time of calling 119 ambulance service was from 6P.M. to midnight$(37.5\%)$ - It took within 10 minutes for patients$(62.8\%)$ from notification to arrival in hospital. - Regarding poisoning substances. hypnotics $(22.8\%)$, tranquilizer$(14.7\%)$, agricultural agents$(6.0\%)$ rodenticide$(27\%)$ and others $(10.3\%)$ were in order and unknown were $43.5\%$. - Most of the patients or protector $(72.8\%)$ chose hospitals. Among them $(87.3\%)$ were general hospital. - The most predominant symptoms were coma$(22.3\%)$. dizziness$(6.5\%)$ and then allergy. vomiting. gastrointestinal cramps etc. - Airway management and oxygen administration together was the main medical control of prehospital emergency medical services$(33.7\%)$. It is proposed that first, a systematic survey of drug intoxication patients must be conducted to give an appropriate prehospital emergency care for the emergency medical technician and second, a wide and regular public education to improve understanding of first aids should be undertaken.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.21-35
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• 2016

Purpose: This study aims to investigate awareness and performance of infection control during ambulance attendant training, and to provide basic data for infection control. Methods: The subjects were 235 paramedic students who completed ambulance attendant training. There were 51 questions. The infection control dimension was divided into hand washing, personal protective equipment use, and environmental management, for each sub-dimension, awareness and performance were measured by a 4-point scale. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS statistics ver. 22.0. Results: A total of 95.3%, of the subjects completed an orientation for ambulance attendant training and 71.7% received education on infection. In all three sub-dimensions, hand- washing (p<.001), personal protective equipment use (p<.001), and environmental management (p<.001), awareness scored higher than performance. The awareness of infection control showed a significantly positive correlation (r=.394) with performance. Conclusion: In order to improve performance of infection control, education to improve awareness should be provided, and paramedics with higher performance levels in hand washing, and use of gloves and masks wearing should be assigned as training advisors.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Health Science
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.1266-1274
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide an appropriate direction for effective field practice program by analyzing the influencing factors on satisfaction in ambulance ride practice of paramedic students in Korea. Methods: This study analyzed of 180 paramedic students from 20th to 30th september, 2019. The collected data were analyzed with MedCalc 18.1.0 program. Results: The results of the satisfaction of ambulance riding practice according to the degree of procedure practice are as follows. Satisfaction was high in all groups except the practice time. The lowest satisfaction rate was seen in the category of'There were many cases of applying theories learned at college'within the variable of practice environment(2.82±0.82). The factors affecting the satisfaction of ambulance riding practice were the nurse (β=-0.1472, p=.024) and emergency medical technician(β=-0.3318, p=.002) according to the ambulance worker qualification paramedic, and the practice score (β=0.0048, p<.001). Conclusions: For effective ambulance riding practice, it is necessary to be able to select the practice place where many cases can be experienced, the appropriate selection of the practice leader, and the degree of procedure practice.