• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.113-123
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• 2007

This study analyzed the appropriateness of the spatial distribution of fire stations and emergency medical facilities, the main providers of emergency medical care, in Busan. The area over which the 119 emergency medical services were situated in relation to the dispatch and transport of urgent rescue services was examined. Addresses of patients requiring 119 emergency services were obtained and stored as individual units so that they could be analyzed in a Geographic Information System(GIS). The time taken by emergency services to reach patients and transport them to a hospital or other facility was measured in seconds. By inputting additional information such as the location of the 119 dispatch centers, jurisdictions, and emergency medical facilities, the GIS allowed for analyses not only of the temporal but also the spatial aspects of emergency medical services. The results showed that of 16 Gu/Gun and 226 Eup/Myen/Dong in the Busan area, only 41% of Busan's emergency medical services could respond to and transport patients within five minutes. In all districts, most emergency medical services were provided within five to ten minutes. However, the pattern of hospital use to transfer patients to hospitals was inefficient. Based on the temporal and spatial distributions of fire stations and emergency medical agencies, and on their dispatch and transport times, this study sets out and compares ideal dispatch and transportation patterns for the efficient use of Busan's emergency medical services and resources.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.27-40
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• 2007

Even now, 119 rescue services have dissatisfactory aspects in operation, system and equipments as discussed above, It is the most urgent subject to systemize rescue services so that they can be suitable for our status, for we will make 21C welfare state come true before long. So, this author suggest that the followings have to be raised to activate 119 rescue service. 1) Bring up experts and offer high-quality rescue service 2) Prepare more up-to-date equipments 3) Operate transfer joint organizations 4) Promote the ability to meet with a press at the time of rescue service activities 5) Adjust regulations related to rescue services 6) Make up for a countermeasure to traffic accidents of ambulances 7) Adjust regulations making it mandatory to establish heliport at the target on hospitals more than a defined scale 8) Install more rescue service teams 9) Educate and train officials belonging to briefing rooms, where the officials with long experiences are arranged 10) Minimize the time for rescue team to reach fields 11) Establish legal protection system for rescue the team Nowadays, our country operates the department of fire fighting and rescue services without great difficulty, even though the circumstances are bad - insufficient members and the inferior circumstances. All of the fire fighting officials are given heavy duties in bad circumstances, and so are the team of rescue service. The rescue service team, taking charge of some emergency medical system, do a fire fighting inspection as a non-duty service, though they are scanty of sleep due to prevention and protection services of the fire fighting service team. But, they can not engage in rescue services completely and have to deal with miscellaneous duties. So they can not offer professional emergency medical services. But now, almost every fire fighting organization, belonging to National Emergency Management Agency, are separating rescue services, which shows a lot of good results. People recognize rescue services to get better and better gradually and the demands for this rescue services increase. So, this is the best time when rescue service teams should offer qualitative services rather than quantitative services. The people will recognize this rescue service team to be an organization sacrificing and serving for them. However well institutes and operation systems should be established, the rescue service team can not come true their aim without strong wills that they will serve and sacrifice themselves for people from their hearts. In addition, it is essential for the officials in charge of policies about emergency medical services to have a concernment on and practice the policy without failure.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.147-155
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• 2019

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the research trends of the articles published in the Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services in the past 10 years. Methods: A total of 236 articles published between 2009 and 2018 were analyzed. For analysis of the collected data, frequencies and percentages were calculated using SPSS 23 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). Results: Most of the articles (47.9%, 113) were authored by 2 researchers, and most first authors were affiliated with university (81.4%, 192). Most of the articles were presented with 3 key words (34.3%, 81), and the most studied subjects of emergency medical technology was clinical researches (26.7%, 63). The majority of the research was performed quantitatively (99.6%, 235) and retrospectively (72.5%, 171), and research design was the most surveyed (68.2%, 161). For the majority of articles, the size of the sample was less than 100 (35.6%, 84), and the study participants were students (38.1%, 91). Only 12.7% (40) of the articles were reviewed by institutional review boards. Conclusion: In future studies on emergency medical technology, active participation of field emergency workers is needed. In addition, qualitative and prospective studies should be conducted on various types of research subjects.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.112-112
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• 2023

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.25-35
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• 2011

Purpose & Method : This purpose of this paper was to show the importance of paramedics. The trauma patients receiving a temporary treatment from emergency medical technician filled out a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of the satisfaction for EMS. The data collection was from October 23 to November 12, 2006. The patients were in the Kyeonggi province hospital having more than 500 beds. At the time of discharge, the questionnaire forms were distributed. Results : Males showed higher satisfaction than females when they had a paramedics, and this indicated statistically significant difference(p<.05). The groups showing higher satisfaction for EMT 1 practice included patients over 40 years old, educated under high school, and income over 2 million won. Before the trauma patients were treated, they were satisfied with short waiting time less than 10 minutes. They showed higher satisfaction within 2 hours duration. Conclusion : Summing up the above result, it was found that the group treated by an emergency medical technician showed higher satisfaction than the group not treated by an emergency medical technician. Therefore, it is necessary to arrange paramedics in emergency medical centers to improve satisfaction with emergency medical services. And since it is a crucial factor that affects patient's satisfaction significantly, it is urgent to increase the roles of emergency medical technicians and lay the foundation for legal institutions.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.139-151
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• 2019

Purpose: To discuss the records and legal standards of emergency medical technician training institutions in Korea and abroad, to identify the problems, and to provide the basic resources for improving the EMT-basic training institutions. Methods: We received advice through an advisory meeting of experts (professors of department of emergency medical technicians) and interested parties (Korean Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, officials of emergency medical technician training institutions) and referred to various reports published by governments, official institutions, and other trustworthy organizations. Also, we communicated with the related experts abroad (3 countries) on the phone or by email for surveys. Results: Compared to the abroad, it is necessary to categorize the standards and procedures of designating the emergency medical technician training institutions in Korea and improve the management of training institutions to train competent emergency medical technicians. Conclusion: It is necessary to designate and manage continuously the emergency medical technician-basic training programs for the systematic primary healthcare service.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.47-54
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to present evidence for quality management based on analysis of patient transportation and response intervals among emergency medical squads. Methods: The chi-square test was used to determine whether mental status and patient assessment affected direct medical control and hospital destination. One way analysis of variance was used to compare response intervals depending on mental status and patient assessment using data drawn from 1172 prehospital care reports. Results: There was a statistically significant relationship between mental status and direct medical control (p<.001); there was a statistically significant relationship between patient assessment and hospital destination (p=.011). However, there was no statistically significant relationship between mental status and hospital destination. The interval from arrival at the patient's side to departure from the scene showed a statistically significant difference (p<.001, p<.001), however, it took the longest time (16.8 minutes) in unresponsive patients. It showed a statistically significant difference (p<.001) in the interval from arrival at patient's side to departure from the scene depending on patient assessment; however, it took the longest time (9.6 minutes) in emergency patients. Conclusion: There was call for direct medical control based on patient assessment; however, patient transportation and response intervals were not appropriate.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.125-134
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• 2021

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to determine the changes in the pattern of patients who were transferred to the emergency room through inter-hospital private institutions and to determine how long transport takes following the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: This retrospective observational study analyzed the emergency medical services reports of private institutions following the COVID-19 outbreak in South Korea. The study was conducted in Busan between January 19, 2019 and January 18, 2020, and between January 19, 2020 and January 18, 2021. Results: Upon comparing the patient transport times during the "Pre-COVID-19 period" and "COVID-19 period," a significant delay was noticed in the preparation for transfer of patients during the "COVID-19 period" (p<.05). There were significantly more patients with respiratory infections and patients who complained of general symptoms during the "COVID-19 period." Moreover, there was a higher frequency of patients who were transferred to a 'Level I' emergency room during the "COVID-19 period" compared to during the "Pre-COVID-19 period" (p<.05). Conclusion: Following the COVID-19 outbreak, there is a delay in patient transport to the emergency room through private institution inter-hospital transport and an increase in the number of patients complaining of respiratory infection symptoms. Thus, emergency medical services need additional administrative and economic support to transport infected patients.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.108-114
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• 2015

Purpose: To improve outcome of severe trauma patient, the shortening of transport time is needed. Although helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) is still a subject of debate, it must also be considered for trauma system. The aim of this study is to assess whether transport method (HEMS versus ground EMS) is associated with outcome among inter-hospital transport. Methods: All trauma patients transported to regional emergency center by either HEMS or ground EMS from September 2011 to September 2014. We have classified patients according to two groups by transport method. Age younger than 15 years and self-discharged patients were excluded. Results: A total of 427 patients were available for analysis during this period. 60 patients were transported by HEMS and 367 patients were transported by ground EMS. HEMS group had higher mortality than ground EMS group (23.3% vs 3.5%; p<0.001), and included more patients with excess mortality ratio adjusted injury severity score (EMR-ISS) above 25 (91.7% vs 48.8%; p<0.001). In the multivariable regression analysis, HEMS was not associated with improved outcome compared with ground EMS, but only EMR-ISS was associated with a mortality of patients (odds ratio, 1.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.09). Conclusion: In this study, helicopter emergency medical services transport was not associated with a decreased of mortality among the trauma patients who inter-hospital transported to the regional emergency center.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.111-118
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• 2007

Purpose : It was to present strategies on activation of prehospital medical direction in Korea. Methods : This study was conducted by analysing some papers on prehospital medical direction and statistical data from the National Emergency Management Agency. Results : There was no active application of medical direction methods such as Priority Dispatch System, Pre-Arrival Instructions, System Status Management and no data on prehospital medical direction. To estimate direct medical control on emergency patients who were sorted by EMTs in 2006 was only 2.5%. Conclusion : To improve prehospital medical direction, it needed to applicate data collecting & using system and in-direct & direct medical control by medical doctor.