• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.25-36
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• 2020

Purpose: We analyzed the characteristics and differences in patients' medical benefits and health insurance based on disease severity classification. Methods: We examined 29,139 patients who visited the emergency medical center of K Hospital from January 1,2016 to December 31, 2016. Survey items included the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS) classification of emergency and non-emergency situations ratio and type of insurance. Results: According to KTAS classification, 76.2% of patients exhibited an emergency condition and 23.8% exhibited a non-emergency condition. Emergency patients exhibited more trauma than non-emergency patients. According to the type of insurance coverage, the duration of stay in the emergency room was longer for patients with medical care than for patients with health insurance. Additionally, 119 ambulances use was significantly higher among patients with medical care. Conclusion: Policy discussions should address alternative ways to replace the 119 ambulances used by patients in this study. Additionally, health care administrators should identify alternative care agencies as potential alternatives to emergency room visits.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.13-21
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• 2006

Purpose: This study aims to examine characteristics and actual conditions of patients using emergency room at farming and fishing villages, solve overcrowding of emergency room at the tertiary hospital and activate local emergency clinics. Methods: It examines department of diagnosis and treatment, vehicles used, sex, age, residential area, visit hour, length of stay, presence or absence of trauma, measures after first aid and degree of severity based on medical records of 6,740 patients using emergency room at farming and fishing villages from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2005. Conclusion : 1. Sex distribution of patients of emergency room was male 54.9% and female 45.1% and age distribution between over 40 and below 50 was most as 15.9%. 2. Transport means to emergency room were 91.4 of private car and others (public transport and going on foot), 7.5 of 119, 129 and police car and 1.0% of ambulance. 3. According to distribution of residential areas of emergency patients, 38.9% were Eup area, 42.1% Myeon area, 11.4% distant area and 7.5% adjacent area. 4. According to distribution of emergency patients by department of diagnosis and treatment, internal medicine was most as 35.8% and 55% of patients visited emergency room from 3:31 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.. 5. According to total hours of diagnosis and treatment of subjects, 51.2% were within 30min. and cases of non-trauma disease were 68.2%. 6. According to degree of emergency of emergency patients, non-emergency cases were 65.3%, urgent cases 27.7% and emergency cases 7.0% and 74.2% of patients returned home after first aid and 20.6% of them hospitalized. In conclusion, characteristics and diversification of patients should be examined and efforts by government and local medical institutions which must organize emergency system and facility and personnel levels suitable to regional conditions are needed in order to prevent overcrowding of emergency center of the tertiary hospital and activate local emergency center.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.128-146
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• 2006

The objective of this paper is to examine the proportion and characteristics of non-emergent patients at emergency departments. The observational survey was conducted using a structured form used by emergency medicine specialists or senior residents on June 7-20, 2005. 1,526 patients at ten emergency centers took part in this study. The structural form contained type of insurance, route and means of emergency department (ED) visit, triage based on the Manchester Triage Scale(MTS)-modified criteria, emergency level based on the government defined rule, type of emergency centers (Regional Emergency Medical Center; REMC, Local Emergency Medical Center; LEMC, Local Emergency Agency; LEA), as well as patient's general information. Data were analyzed using SAS statistical program(V.8.2). Descriptive analysis was performed to describe the magnitude of non-emergent patients. ${\chi}^2-analysis$ and logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the nonurgent patients' characteristics. In the MTS-modified criteria, we found a 15.3% rate of non-emergent patients. This rate differed from that of non-emergent patients obtained using government's rule. In particular, there were inaccuracies in the definition of government rule on non-emergent patients, so it is necessary to apply the new government rule regarding classification of non-emergent patients. There were significant differences in the rate of non-emergent patients according to type of ED, means of ED visit, time to visit, and insurance. Non-emergent patients are more likely to visit a D-type ED(LEA having less than 20,000 patients annually), not to use ambulance, to have 'Automobile Insurance, Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance, or pay out-of-pocket'. Non-emergent patients tend to visit ED due to illness rather than injury. Further studies on the development' of triage scale and reexamination of the government's rule on emergency visits are required for future policy in this area.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.63-70
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• 2021

Purpose: The study aimed to collect data from patients who were rejected by emergency requests for transfer to a tertiary hospital through 119 EMT and to analyze the data in the hospital to improve the plan. Methods: We analyzed 4,702 cases of emergency requests made by patients who were rejected by 119 emergency assistance out of the 22,568 patients who visited the emergency medical center in the C area of G metropolitan city from January 2018 through December 2020. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version XX (IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y., USA). Results: The major medical department with the largest number of such cases was the department of emergency medicine, with 2,519 cases (53.6%). Simple bruises were the most common diagnosis, with 2,819 cases (61.2%). KTAS classification was the highest with 3,562 patients (75.8%) in grade 4. As for the results, 4,084 patients (86.9%) were discharged from the hospital. Conclusion: Most of the patients who were rejected by emergency requests were non-emergency patients and were discharged from the hospital. emergency requests must be rejected at public relations and sites. In addition, the law should be amended to specifically present the reasons for refusal of emergency requests.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.399-407
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• 2018

Objective: Regionalization is one of the principal subjects for the advancement of rural emergency medical service systems in South Korea. This study shows the characteristics of interhospital transfer and status of the incidence of three major emergency disorders (acute myocardial infarction [AMI], acute stroke, and severe trauma) in one local province. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted for patients with three major emergency disorders who visited emergency medical facilities in one local province from January 2013 to December 2015, on the basis of the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) data. Results: The incidence of three major emergency disorders had increased annually. Patients with each of these disorders tended to choose distinguishing methods of visiting emergency medical facilities. AMI patients tended to visited emergency medical facilities using private cars or on foot, while severe trauma patients usually visited by 119 ambulance, and acute stroke patients used 119 ambulance and private car in similar amounts. Overall, 65% of AMI patients were treated in intraregional medical facilities, but about 70% of acute stoke and severe trauma patients were transferred outside of the region. Conclusion: Because each of these disorders has an individual characteristic, it is difficult to expect a solution for the problems associated with emergency disorders just by assuring the availability of medical resources. Based on regionalization, a policy to provide the optimal treatment for those emergency disorders should be developed by planning public medical service systems based on the individual characteristics of emergency disorders, the standardized transfer plans of emergency patients and the assurance for mobilization and sharing of confined medical resources.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.191-202
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• 2001

This study was attempted to help in explore new direction about classification of the severity of the pediatric patients visiting emergency center. Data were collected from 276 patients who visited emergency center of E University Hospital during 3 months period from March 1, to May 31,1999. The results were as follows: 1. The degree of severity of the pediatric patients visiting emergency center shown ranged 0-18 and averaged .87. 2. With the respect to the severity of the pediatric patients visiting emergency center, there were statiscally significant difference in patients' visiting time(F=2.607, p=.025), disease classification(F=9.606, p=.000), consciousness level(F=71.499, p=.000), period of symptom manifestation (F=2.262, p=.030), pediatric patients protector's thinking about pediatric patients state (F=16.833, p=.000), treatment outcome (t=5.362, p=.000), duration of stay at emergency center(F=23.944, p=.000).

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

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 1997

We have reviewed 2.876 patients who visited the emergency room from May, 1996 to september, 1996 in order to look for a more appropriate management of the emergency medical system. The result were summarized as followings; 1. Considering sexual distribution, male patients were 59.6% more than female patients 40.4% and according to age categories, first decade of life was most frequent. 2. Distribution according to ca use is most common for the disease 79.8%, and next injury and traffic accident is 11.6%, 6.8%, respectively. 3. According to the department distribution, pediatrics accounted for 37.4%, internal medicine 21.1%, and emergency medicine 10.0%, and these three departments was 66.3% of total number of patients. 4. 67.0% of patients visited emergency room were discharged. Arrived time in emergency room, patients of 41.9% was visited from 17 to 1 hours. 5. Among 196 patients of traffic accident, 160 were male(81.5%) and 36 were female (18.5%). Distribution of the age is most common in 3rd and 4th decade for 63.2%, and region of injury were face 33.3%, head 22.2%, and chest 22.2% and follow-up measures after visiting emergency room is most common transfer hospital 40.8%.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.53-64
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• 2007

Purpose: Ths study aims to examine characteristics of patients using emergency room after execution of five-day workweek system by government and provide basic materials for operation of efficient emergency room. Methods: Data were collected tbrough medical records of patients visiting emergency room from July of 2004 to October of 2006 and they were analyzed with SPSSlPC 10.0. Conclusion : 1. The number of patients visiting emergency room was average 16.7 persons a day in 2004, 17.5 in 2005 and 18.6 in 2006 and it was found that it was increasing every year since the execution of five-day workweek system 2. Gender distribution of subjects using emergency room was higher in male than in female every year. 3. Means of transport to emergency room were mostly private car and others(public transport or on foot), but use of ambulance was increasing. 4. Residential areas of subjects were mostly 'Myeon area' in 2004~2005, but it was changed to residents at 'Eup area' in 2006. 5. Distribution of patients by medical departments was highest in internal medicine and surgery in 2004~2006 and rate of visiting pediatrics was increasing every year. 6. Time to stay at emergency room was most at 'below 30 min'. in 2004~2006, but cases of stay for 'more than 2 hours' were increasing every year. 7. On presence or absence of trauma in patients visiting emergency room, rate of visit to emergency room with 'no trauma' was higher and this result was increasing every year. 8. As a result of classifying severity of patients visiting emergency room, use rate of emergency room by 'non-emergency' patients was over 90% in 2004~2006 and such a phenomenon was deepened in 2006 compared to that in 2004. 9. Measures after emergency care of patients were most in case of 'discharge' in 2004~2006, but cases of admission to hospital after emergency care were increased every year. 10. According to use of emergency room by a day of the week, use on Sunday was most frequent in 2004~2006, but use on Friday the day before holiday was increasing. 11. According to distribution by age, use by those between '40~49' was most in 2004~2005, but use by those 'below 10' was most in 2006. 12. According to time to visit emergency room, using emergency room at "15:31~23:30 was most in 2004~2006, cases of visiting emergency room at day working hour were decreased every year and those at evening and night working hours were increased. Conclusion: In sum, it was found that characteristics of patients visiting emergency room and their actual status were changed after the execution of five-day workweek system and efforts to rearrange emergency medical system are required.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.21-39
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• 2013

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to provide the basic data to improve pre-hospital phase emergency care for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients by analyzing AMI patients' clinical characteristics and emergency care situations. Methods : Data were collected through medical records of 385 AMI patients including ambulance records of 107 AMI patients transferred to the emergency medical center for three and a half years. Results : Regarding emergency care for AMI patients in pre-hospital phase, 47% of the care revealed moderate level or higher, and appropriateness of pre-hospital phase emergency care for cardiopulmonary complaints practiced by paramedics showed statistically significant improvement in recent years (p<.001). The time from onset of symptom to ballooning intervention by 119 emergency services was shorter than that in other cases. However, emergency care by paramedic was mainly basic life support. Conclusion : Since prognosis of AMI shows vast differences depending on prompt detection and medical intervention, cooperation between pre-hospital and in-hospital phase is highly required. 119 paramedics should be trained focusing on the accurate assessment and emergency care, and medical direction should be activated. In addition, regulation on 12-lead EKG, cardiac enzyme analysis, use of analgesics and thrombolytic agents should be legally implemented.