• 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.

• 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.11 no.3
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• pp.191-204
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• 2007

This study analyzes use and operation of silver ambulance with 110 patients who had used silver ambulance in Gwangju and Jeonnam regions from June of 2006 to June of 2007 and 53 paramedics who are involved directly in ambulance operation and the results of this analysis are as follows. 1. Users' health conditions, 69.1% of users answered as bad and 67.3% suffered from chronic diseases over 3 months and it was found that they used silver ambulance due to their bad health conditions. 2. Cronbach's alpha was 0.630 and family function index was generally reliable and solution was high as 1.60, but total points were low as 7.11 and it was considered that they had family troubles. 3. On the question of ambulance use, 44.5% answered they used it because it is free, 53.6% used it for appointed medical examination and treatment and 18.1% used it for emergency. 4. Degrees of satisfaction with ambulance and paramedics were 95.4% and 76.4% respectively and 80.0% of ambulance users answered ambulance arrived quickly within 15 min. 5. Correlation($x^2 $) between family or relative's residence and frequency of visits was 86.367 and its significance probability was 0.00 and it was found that it was significant in the level of 0.1%, but correlation($x^2 $) between visitors other than family or relatives and frequency of visits was 14.768 and its significance probability was 0.25 and it was found that it was not significant in the level of 5%. 6. Correlation($x^2 $) between transfer operation speed and mobilization time was found that it was not significant in the level of 5%. Correlation($x^2 $) between their own health condition purpose of ambulance use was 13.802 an 5.696 and its significance probability was 0.93 and it was found that it was not significant in the level of 1%, and it was considered because paramedics carried patients with safe operation.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.199-207
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• 2002

This is a study to evaluate the effects of the safety of ambulance driving and the occurrence of ambulance traffic accidents and to provide basic information for the description of various factors to reduce the ambulance traffic accidents. The major instruments of this study were Korean Self-Analysis Driver Opinionnaire. Questionnaire contains 8 items which measure driver's opinions or attitudees: driving courtesy, emotion, traffic law, speed, vehicle condition, the use of drugs, high-risk behavior, human factor. To take the analysis of data, the total of 187 drivers were investigated ambulance drivers in Gwangju Metropolitan City from 2002. 1. September to 2002. 20. September. The data were analyzed by the path analysis SPSS program. The result are as follows : 1. There was desirable attitude group(58.4%) and undesirable attitude group(41.7%) on safety ambulance driving. 2. It have suggested that rist factors of ambulance traffic accident much affected with emotion and speed control on safety ambulance driving(Y(Accident) = -2.00 + 0.6 X1(Emotion Control) + 0.4 $X_2$(Speed control) + E). 3. Almost 92.1% of respondents have agreed to necessity of emergency medical technics for ambulance drivers.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.100-111
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• 1997

This is the first Korea study to evaluate the effects od the safety of ambulance driving and the occurrence of ambulance traffic accidents and to provide basic informaion for the description of various factors to reduce the ambulance traffic accidents. The major insturment of this study were Krean Self-Analysis Driver Opinionnaire. Questionnaire contains 8 items which measure driver's opinions or attitudes : driving courtesy, emotion, traffic law, speed, vehicle conditions, the use of drugs, high-risk behaviors, and human factors. To take the analysis of data, the total of 350 divers were investigated ambulance divers and others in Taejon City and others (6 City) from 1996. 1. July to 1996. 31. July. The data were analyzed by the descriptive statistics and the logistic regression - path analysis - with SPSS and SAS package program. The result are as follows : 1. There was desirable attitude group(16.2%) and undesirable attitude group(17.6%) on safety ambulance driving. 2. It have suggested that risk factors of ambulance traffic accidents much affected with emotion and speed control on safety ambulance driving < Y(Accdient) = -2.64 + 0.57 $X_1$ (Emotion Control) + 0.30 $X_2$(Seed control) + E > and motor traffic acident much affected with emotion control and high-risk behavior on safety driving < Y(Accident) = -1.11 + 0.33 $X_1$(Emotion Control) + 0.29 $X_2$(High-risk Behvior) + E > 4. The primary emphassis of ambulance drivers was make us realized that improthatnt factors on safety ambulance driving were 1)making way for emergent ambulance, 2)driver's career, 3)The ability of emergency medical technics, and the knowledge or under standing of ambulance way difficut(or easy) of accdess. 5. Almost 96.6% of respondents have agreed to necessity of emergency medical technics for ambulance drivers. 6. Almost 94.6% of respondents have consented to necessity of emergtency medical technicians for ambulance driving. 7. It have suggested that the proportion of traffic accident proportion by desitable attitude group(16.7%) was much less than that of undesirable attitude group(30.8%) on safety ambulance driving(P < 0.05)/Ps) Accidents are unplanned, unforesen incidents which can lead to harmful or unfortunate outcomes, Collisons are not accidents, since the basic cause of the majority of collisons invovles high-risk human behavior. Although there are many factors which contribute to accident causation, four basic factors seem to predominate in most traffic related situations. These four factors include: the human factor, the vehicle factor, the environmental factors and destination factor(Peto G. et al. 1995).

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.95-100
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• 2000

This is a study to evaluate the effects of the safety of ambulance driving and traffic accidents and to provide statistic information for the various factors to reduce the ambulance traffic accidents. The major instruments of this study were Korean Self-Analysis Driver Opinionnaire. This Questionnaire contains 8 items which measure drivers' opinions or attitudes: driving courtesy, emotion, traffic law, speed, vehicle condition, the use of drugs, high-risk behavior, human factors. The total of 145 divers were investigated ambulance drivers in Taejon City and others(6 City) from 2000. 5. July to 2000. 11. July. The data were analyzed by the path analysis - with SPSS and AMOS package program. The result are as follows : 1. It have suggested that risk factors of ambulance traffic accident much affected with emotion and speed control on safety ambulance driving(Y(Accident) = $0.88{\times}1$(Emotion Control) + $0.92{\times}2$(Speed) - $0.46{\times}3$(Traffic Law)+E). 2. It have suggested that risk factors of ambulance traffic accident much affected with emotion and speed control on safety ambulance driving(Y(Accident) = $0.398{\times}1$(Emotion Control) + $0.500{\times}2$(Speed) - $0.263{\times}3$(Traffic Law)+E) by coefficiecial structural analysis.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.63-71
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• 2000

Exceptive clause of ambulance stated in Road Traffic Laws of ambulance car accidents is not properly applied and emergency staffs who transfer over 85% of emergency cases are to be forced to start out to the emergency field with unstable conditions which they may be punished on the criminal and civil laws. Hereby this study makes the following suggestions to activate the duties of transferring emergency cases by emergency staffs, promote their morale and diminish the victim of emergency staffs due to traffic accidents. 1) It is prescribed that ambulance car drivers should be protected legally by applying the exceptive clauses thoroughly regulated in special case clauses because ambulance cars are used for the purpose of saving the human life. 2) On the traffic accidents occurred during the transfer of emergency cases, the special insurance system is created for treating the ambulance car accidents, not to bind the emergency staff's mistake to traffic law and the victims are compensated by the nation on the basis of insurance system and emergency staffs have the systematic security. 3) On the road over six lanes, emergency lane is set on the center and ambulance car should be used as the exclusive lane. 4) Ambulance car drivers must have the habit of transferring emergency cases rapidly within the range of legal operation.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.172-179
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• 2014

This research suggests that the regulation, design and improvement of domestic and international ambulances so that make the basis for the future ambulance in Korea. It is true that the diversification of current disasters, increasing elderly population, the increase in emergency patients, due to the lack of effective transfer system, emergency vehicle's performance problem, and the aging of ambulances cause have difficulty in providing effective emergency services in domestic country. Therefore, in order to improve the effectiveness of ambulance, the history of ambulance, other relevant provisions include international, design and directions to be improved were investigated, and also research directions of the ambulance are suggested in domestic country. In this research, suggests the following conclusions to improve domestic ambulance 1. Through standardization of the spacing and location of an ambulance is needed to maximize the treatment room. 2. The interior of the ambulance design for hygiene and infection control should be included. 3. Stretcher and equipment are designed to be fitted to each other should be standardized. 4. Especially during transfer maintain the road, noise, vibration, and shock-absorbing function to emphasize the importance. 5. The improvement of ergonomic design is necessary for the possibility of applying to many people.

• 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.