• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.129-138
• /
• 2022

Purpose: To analyze the frequency of emergency room visits according to socioeconomic factors of emergency room visitors. Methods: In this study, frequency analysis, percentage analysis, and x² test were performed using the SPSS 23.0 program based on the 2018 data from the Korea Health Panel. Results: Among 1,648 participants included in this study, 1,279 visited the emergency room only once in the past year, while 369 visited the emergency room more than once. The relationship between frequency of emergency room visits and socioeconomic factors was analyzed using x² test, and no statistically significant relationship was noted between emergency room visits and education, economic activity, insurance type, and individual quartile income. However, a significant relationship was noted between emergency room visits and being handicap and living in households with quintile income. Conclusion: The study determined the relationship between frequency of emergency room visits and socioeconomic factors. A follow-up study analyzing socioeconomic factors of outpatient departments, 119 ambulance transport services, and frequency of emergency room visits among chronically ill patients is needed to provide basic data for establishing health policies among different socioeconomic strata.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.46-57
• /
• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to identify factors affecting the number of emergency department visits by caregivers of children with fever. Methods: Data were collected from 145 caregivers whose children aged six or less with two or more emergency department visits annually mainly because of fever. Collected data were analyzed with descriptive frequency analysis, independent t-test, Fisher exact, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé test, Dunnett T3, Pearson's correlation, and stepwise multiple regression using SPSS 25.0 software. Results: Regression analysis results revealed that among factors influencing the number of emergency department visits by caregivers of children with fever were state anxiety (β= .35, p= .009), self-efficacy (β= -.29, p= .029), and gestational age of the children (β= .17, p= .010). These variables had an explanatory power of 42.3% concerning the number of emergency department visits. Conclusion: Our findings revealed that caregivers' level of state anxiety and self-efficacy were major factors influencing the number of emergency department visits. It is expected that providing education concerning fever and emotional support for caregivers of children with fever can relieve their anxiety and enhance their self-efficacy levels, which in turn may reduce the number of unnecessary emergency department visits of children with fever and ultimately address the issue of over-crowding in emergency department.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.39-46
• /
• 2023

Purpose: Korean medical services are not balanced across regions and social classes. To prevent mortality gaps, Korea must distribute its medical resources more efficiently. Patient factors affecting emergency room visits serve as basic data for determining best practices for public healthcare distribution. Methods: The data included 18 473 visits by 14 949 de-identified patients who visited a public emergency room over one year. The dependent variable was the number of emergency room visits. A Poisson regression was conducted with the independent variables, comprising sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and spatial accessibility factors and patient characteristics. Results: Older men with higher Korean Triage and Acuity Scale scores visited more frequently. Greater patient-hospital distance decreased visits; however, the presence of a hospital within 1 km of a patient's residence did not affect the number of visits. The use of 119 services was negatively correlated with the number of visits. Visits increased with more medical benefits. Conclusions: Patient age, distance to hospital, use of 119 services, and medical benefits should be considered when planning or managing public hospitals in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.51-59
• /
• 2016

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine the health service utilization of elderly patients who visited an emergency medical center in the Gyeongbuk region and to provide basic information for the effective management of emergency medical centers. Methods : This study analyzed the characteristics of the hospital visits and the actual situation for the use of emergency medical care of 10,264 elderly patients that visited an emergency medical center in the Gyeongbuk region from January, 2014 to December, 2014. Frequency analysis and chi-square test were done in this study. Results : This study showed that there is a difference in the characteristics of health service utilization which included hospital visits, duration of hospital visits and mode of arrival to the emergency medical center according to age, gender and other characteristics. Conclusions : Providing efficient emergency services is necessary as well as establishing an emergency medical center management plan that takes into consideration the difference in health service utilization of elderly patients.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.97-107
• /
• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate and compare the usual source of healthcare and frequent visits to emergency departments. Methods: The study subjects were 7,252 individuals with chronic diseases who filled out the questionnaire of the 2013 Korea Health Panel Survey. Data were analyzed using chi-square test and logistic regression. Results: Compared to having a public health center or clinic as a usual source of healthcare, it is 1.341 times more likely for a chronic disease patient to visit an emergency department if the hospital is her/his usual source of healthcare, while it is 1.656 times more likely for the patient to visit a general/tertiary hospital. Conclusion: It is important to investigate visits at the emergency department requiring primary care for diseases.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.47 no.6
• /
• pp.309-316
• /
• 2014

Objectives: This study aimed to test our hypothesis that a raise in the emergency fee implemented on March 1, 2013 has increased the proportion of patients with emergent symptoms by discouraging non-urgent emergency department visits. Methods: We conducted an analysis of 728 736 patients registered in the National Emergency Department Information System who visited level 1 and level 2 emergency medical institutes in the two-month time period from February 1, 2013, one month before the raise in the emergency fee, to March 31, 2013, one month after the raise. A difference-in-difference method was used to estimate the net effects of a raise in the emergency fee on the probability that an emergency visit is for urgent conditions. Results: The percentage of emergency department visits in urgent or equivalent patients increased by 2.4% points, from 74.2% before to 76.6% after the policy implementation. In a group of patients transferred using public transport or ambulance, who were assumed to be least conscious of cost, the change in the proportion of urgent patients was not statistically significant. On the other hand, the probability that a group of patients directly presenting to the emergency department by private transport, assumed to be most conscious of cost, showed a 2.4% point increase in urgent conditions (p<0.001). This trend appeared to be consistent across the level 1 and level 2 emergency medical institutes. Conclusions: A raise in the emergency fee implemented on March 1, 2013 increased the proportion of urgent patients in the total emergency visits by reducing emergency department visits by non-urgent patients.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.253-261
• /
• 2001

Objectives : To evaluate the hypothesis that air pollution could increase emergency room visits for respiratory diseases, and if so, to quantify the strength of association between those. Methods : We compiled daily records of hospital emergency room visits for respiratory diseases in Seoul, from November 1. 1955 to October 31. 1996, by using medical utilization data of unscheduled visits. In addition, air quality and weather data for the same period was collected. And a case-crossover design was applied by adopting conditional logistic regression analysis to determine the relationship between air pollutants and emergency room visits for respiratory diseases. In particular, the control periods were chosen by a bidirectional paired matching technique 7, 14, and 21 days before and after the case periods. Results : Only ozone was associated with the increased number of emergency room visits for respiratory diseases. The relative risk according to a 30ppb increase of ozone concentration (24hr mean, lagged 1day) was 1.91(95% confidence interval = 1.78-2.05). Conclusion : There was a statistically significant association between the ambient ozone and daily emergency room visits for respiratory diseases.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.61-72
• /
• 2001

Objectives : To evaluate the hypothesis that increasing ambient levels of ozone or particulate matter are associated with increased emergency room visits for asthma and to quantify the strength of association, if any, between these. Methods : Daily counts of emergency room visits for asthma, air quality, and weather data were collected from hospitals with over 200 beds and from monitoring Stations in Seoul, Korea from 1994 through 1997. Daily counts of emergency mom visits for asthma attack were analyzed using a general additive Poisson model, with adjustment for the effects of secular trend, seasonal variation, Sunday and holiday, temperature, and humidly, according to levels of ozone and particulate matter. Results : The association between daily counts of emergency room visits for asthma attack and ozone levels was statistically significant in summer(from June to August), and the RR by unit inclement of 100 ppb ozone was 1.30(95% CI = $1.11\sim1.52$) without lag time. With restriction of the period from April to September in 1996, the RR was 1.37(95% CI = $1.06\sim1.76$), and from June to August in 1995, the RR was 1.62(95% CI = $1.12\sim2.35$). In the data for children$(5\sim14yr)$, the RR was 2.57(95% CI = $1.31\sim5.05$) with restriction of the period from April to September in 1997. There was no Significant association between TSP levels and asthma attacks, but a slight association was seen between PM10 levels and asthma attacks in a very restricted period. Conclusion : There was a statistically significant association between ambient levels of ozone and daily counts of emergency room visits for asthma attack. Therefore, we must make efforts to effectively minimize air pollution, in order to protect public health.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.183-190
• /
• 2021

The purpose of this study was to determine the change trend of emergency department visits among elderly patients with chronic diseases. Using the National Emergency Department Information System data, from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2019, the selected patient data were evaluated for the emergency department discharge main diagnosis codes for eight chronic diseases. The incidence of elderly chronic diseases, emergency department visits, and admission rates were analyzed. Since 2014, there has been a consistent increase in the number of elderly patients visiting the emergency department, especially among those aged over 85 years. The number of emergency department visits among the elderly chronically ill patients also increased, with a significant increase in ischemic heart disease and arthrosis cases. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the number of chronically ill patients in each year from 2014-2019 (P<0.001). With respect to the trend of admission rates to the emergency department by chronic disease, most diseases showed an increasing trend (P<0.001). however, hyperlipidemia showed a continuous decreasing trend in all age groups since 2014 (P<0.001). Among the elderly chronically ill patients, a greater increase in the admission rate following emergency department visits was noted in those over 85 years of age, with a significant difference in all diseases, except for hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and tuberculosis (P<0.001). As the aging population grows, the emergency department admission rates among the elderly chronically ill patients will rise rapidly. This could create issues with respect to the use and consumption of emergency medical resources. Hence, it is necessary to manage chronic diseases effectively in the elderly.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.146-153
• /
• 2018

Purpose: This study aimed to identify characteristics and severity assessed by Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS) among 2,496 older adults aged 65 and over who visited an emergency department (ED) located in Chuncheon city. Methods: Data were collected via electronic medical records from two hospitals from January to December of 2016. Chi square test and logistic regression were applied using SPSS 22.0. Results: 53.5% of the participants were women and 17.6% of visits were done by aged 85 and older. ED visits by ambulance were 33.9%. More than two-third of older adults' ED visits were emergent status. Severity of the ED visits of older adults were rated by KTAS. Commonly reported chief complaints of the ED visits were dizziness, dyspnea, chest pain, abdominal pain, and hypoalbuminemia. Among them, dizziness, chest pain, dyspnea, and hypoalbuminemia were related factors for being-emergent condition. Conclusion: Strategies for older adults' chief complaints are needed in order to reduce unexpected ED visits.