• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.606-623
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• 2004

Emergency medical service pertains highly to the public service sector which has to be provided equally in a society and evenly in a spatial dimension by the government. However, emergency medical centers in Korea are inequally distributed in a space and also human capital, facility, and equipment for emergency medical centers show clear disparity among regions. This research analyzed the spatial balance of the demand supply level for emergency medical service in Seoul by constructing the potential demand surface map and supply surface map for this service. The surface map of demand-supply balance for emergency medical service was constructed by GIS based map algebra algorism. The results by this analysis very clearly reveal the spatial disparity of emergency medical service. The places where are over-represented by demand level compared to their supply level are estimated to require an additional establishment of emergency medical centers in the near future. While, the places where are over-represented by supply level compared to their potential demand for emergency medical services indicate the possibility of problems in the management of emergency medical centers because of a surplus in the supply of emergency medical services. The results of this research can be utilized in providing valuable information for the adequate provision of emergency medical centers and for the estimation of range on the service area of emergency medical services.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.2
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• pp.32-55
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• 1996

It was enacted 'Emergency Medical Act' in January, 1994 beginning the emergency medical service system from 1982, and while it was established the emergency medical department in junior college providing the detailed agenda about emergency medical technician and the regulation relative to the application of a law on the emergency medical act in 1995, the fire school and the National Medical Center are enforced the curriculum. It is very important subject faced for the construction of emergency medical system to produce a number of emergency medical technicians to be sufficient to the role of emergency aid. In this study it is analysed the training curriculum for the emergency medical technician and presented the improvement plans. 1. Though it needs the qualification level of first and second class in the selection process, the more important thing needs the detailed qualification level by term of one's service and the skills of business accomplishment. 2. In the examination management, (1) written examination is composed of the questions to understand how much faithfully they carry out the practical business as the emergency medical technicians, (2) it is added practical examination as the item to appraise the situation disposal ability. 3. It is necessary to prescribe the activity in the medical institution and ambulance arrangement through the development of 'Business Treatment Guide'. 4. For the regional balanced disposition of emergency medical personnel it is selected balanceably the educational institution by eight medical service areas, and considering the characteristics of region it is necessary to manage, in the practical business training course, another special course such as the mountains medical aid and sea medical aid. 5. In the period of education the first class needs the practical business training period of a certain period after passing examination, and the second class needs the extension of the period. 6. As the problems to improve in the curriculum [1] in the first class course (1) intensification of practical educaiton (2) reinforcement of curriculum (3) the development of standardized curriculum etc., [2] in the second class course (1) varieties of curriculum (2) intensification of basic first aid treatment education.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.97-104
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• 2016

Purpose: Facilities for infection prevention according to the characteristics of the patients, caregivers and medical personnel are needed in the patient triage room of the emergency department as a space for the first medical examination and classification of the patients. This study focus on the patient tirage room with the highest frequency of use in the emergency department to prevent the hospital acquired infection of the emergency department. Methods:: This study analyzed the facilities standard needed for the infection prevention through interviews with the medical personnel and analyses on the facilities standard/cases of foreign hospitals and facilities standard at home and abroad Results: And based on this, it attempted to present improvement measures by analyzing the line of circulation and space used by infected patients in a hospital designated in the regional emergency medical center among hospitals whose emergency department overcrowding index is high. Implications: The facilities standard for the infection prevention among the courses for patient classification of the emergency medical centers could be identified and implemented to prevent infection.

• 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.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.37-47
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed at developing a novel tube thoracostomy technique using the sternum, a fixed anatomical structure, as an indicator to reduce the possibility of incorrect chest tube positioning and complications in patients with chest trauma. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the data of 184 patients with chest trauma who were aged ≥18 years, visited a single regional trauma center in Korea between April and June 2022, and underwent chest computed tomography (CT) with their arms down. The conventional gold standard, 5th intercostal space (ICS) method, was compared to the lower 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4 of the sternum method by analyzing CT images. Results: When virtual tube thoracostomy routes were drawn at the mid-axillary line at the 5th ICS level, 150 patients (81.5%) on the right side and 179 patients (97.3%) on the left did not pass the diaphragm. However, at the lower 1/2 of the sternum level, 171 patients (92.9%, P<0.001) on the right and 182 patients (98.9%, P= 0.250) on the left did not pass the diaphragm. At the 5th ICS level, 129 patients (70.1%) on the right and 156 patients (84.8%) on the left were located in the safety zone and did not pass the diaphragm. Alternatively, at the lower 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4 of the sternum level, 139 (75.5%, P=0.185), 49 (26.6%, P<0.001), and 10 (5.4%, P<0.001), respectively, on the right, and 146 (79.3%, P=0.041), 69 (37.5%, P<0.001), and 16 (8.7%, P<0.001) on the left were located in the safety zone and did not pass the diaphragm. Compared to the conventional 5th ICS method, the sternum 1/2 method had a safety zone prediction sensitivity of 90.0% to 90.7%, and 97.3% to 100% sensitivity for not passing the diaphragm. Conclusions: Using the sternum length as a tube thoracostomy indicator might be feasible.

• Journal of Service Research and Studies
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.113-130
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• 2023

This study is a single case study of the application of service design in a regional emergency medical centre of a senior general hospital, focusing on the experiences of patients and medical staff. It aims to measure and improve the experience of healthcare services using service design techniques and to verify their effectiveness. A qualitative case study centred on ethnography and design workshops was conducted to collect in-depth experience data from patients and medical staff. The study identified key experiential differences between patients and healthcare workers, with a particular focus on the challenges faced in emergency medical services. The qualitative data collected through patient and healthcare worker interviews and design thinking workshops were analysed and incorporated into the design in order to understand the complex dynamics of the regional emergency medical centre environment. The results of the study highlighted the need to improve communication, manage patient flow, and improve the environment in three main aspects of the current state of design reflecting the needs of patients and medical staff. By analysing the differences in the specific needs of the two groups of patients and medical staff, a design-led implementation process can be applied to improve the services of the regional emergency medical centre. This study highlights the role and importance of design in healthcare and provides an efficient way to bridge the gap between theoretical research and practical design implementation. This will contribute to creating a faster, more effective, and more satisfying healthcare experience. It is hoped that this will be a new opportunity to see service design as a key to a new innovation process for the satisfaction of both patients and medical staff.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.106-113
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• 2024

Purpose: Helicopter transport with medical teams has been proven to be effective, with improvements in patient survival rates. This study compared and analyzed the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of trauma patients transported by doctor helicopters according to whether patients were transferred after a clinical evaluation or without a clinical evaluation. Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed data from the Korean Trauma Data Bank of trauma patients who arrived at a regional trauma center through doctor helicopters from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2022. The patients were divided into two groups: doctor helicopter transport before evaluation (DHTBE) and doctor helicopter transport after evaluation (DHTAE). These groups were compared. Results: The study population included 351 cases. At the time of arrival at the trauma center, the systolic blood pressure was significantly lower in the DHTAE group than in the DHTBE group (P=0.018). The Injury Severity Score was significantly higher in the DHTAE group (P<0.001), and the accident to trauma center arrival time was significantly shorter in the DHTBE group (P<0.001). Mortality did not show a statistically significant between-group difference (P=0.094). Surgical cases in the DHTAE group had a longer time from the accident scene to trauma center arrival (P=0.002). The time from the accident to the operation room or from the accident to angioembolization showed no statistically significant differences. Conclusions: DHTAE was associated with significantly longer transport times to the trauma center, as well as nonstatistically significant trends for delays in receiving surgery and procedures, as well as higher mortality. If severe trauma is suspected, air transport to a trauma center should be requested immediately after a simple screening test (e.g., mechanism of injury, Glasgow Coma Scale, or Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma), which may help reduce the time to definitive treatment.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.289-295
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• 2020

This study investigated the feasibility of establishing a college of medicine in the western region of Chungnam to fill the gap in the medical doctor in charge of essential medical care in the region. Currently, the level of medical services in Chungnam is low compared to provinces across the country and in particular, 7 cities and towns, which account for 760,000 people, one-third of Chungnam's population, are located in the western regions of Chungnam. Because of this, in the event of an emergency patients, it is necessary to travel to Cheonan, Daejeon, Seoul, etc. where the regional emergency medical center is located for more than 1 hour and 30 minutes. In the case of critically ill and emergency patients transfer, it is a situation that misses the golden time and causes valuable loss of life. In order to improve the medical environment in the western region of Chungnam and improve the lives of residents in vulnerable areas of medical services, it is believed that establishing a college of medicine in the western region of Chungnam is essential.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.84-91
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• 2022

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze by age group the characteristics of patients with dog bite injuries, as well as determine which factors were associated with wound infections in those patients. Methods: We reviewed patients with dog bite injuries who presented to Gachon University Gil Medical Center in Incheon, Korea from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2018. They were classified by age group: children (0-18 years), adults (19-59 years), or elderly (≥60 years). Event profiles, wound characteristics, and infections were compared across these age groups. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with wound infections. Results: Of the total 972 dog bite injuries, 272 (28.0%) were in children, 606 (62.3%) were in adults, and 94 (9.7%) were in the elderly. The median age was 30 years (interquartile range, 16-48 years) and the majority of patients (60.5%) were female. The most common place of injury was at home (73.8%) and indoors (77.0%). In children, the head and neck were the most frequent sites of injury (43%), while the most frequent site in adults and the elderly (50.8% and 59.6%, respectively) was the upper extremity. The odds ratio (OR) for wound infection was 3.997 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.279-12.491; P=0.017) for head and neck injuries and 3.881 (95% CI, 1.488-10.122; P=0.006) for lower extremity injuries. The OR for wound infection was 4.769 (95% CI, 2.167-10.494; P<0.001) for significant injuries. Elderly patients had a higher risk for wound infection than other age groups (OR, 2.586; 95% CI, 1.221-5.475; P=0.013). Conclusions: When analyzing patients with dog bite injuries, differences across age groups were found, with the elderly at the highest risk for significant injury and wound infection. It is recommended that age-specific approaches and strategies be used to prevent dog bite wound infections.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 2020

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the trauma volume and performance indicators during the first 5-year period of operation in a single regional trauma center. Methods: We analyzed prospectively collected data from the Korean Trauma Data Bank for a single regional trauma center between January 2014 and December 2018. More than 250 variables were analyzed. We calculated the predicted survival rates using the trauma and injury severity score (TRISS) method. Results: In total, there were 16,103 trauma admissions during the first 5 years; trauma activation was performed in 5,105 of these cases. Over 70% of the patients were men, and most of the admitted patients were within the age groups of 55-59 years for men and 75-79 years for women. Analyses were performed considering two patient groups: the total patient group and the group of those with severe trauma (injury severity score [ISS] >15). The median ISS, revised trauma score, and TRISS of the two groups were 5 (interquartile range [IQR] 4-10), 22 (IQR 17-27), and 7.6±0.99 and 6.74±1.9, 0.95±0.13, 0.81±2.67, respectively. Of the total patient group, 801 patients (5%) died in the hospital, whereas of the group of patients with ISS >15, 526 (19.5%) died. The direct transportation of patients to the regional trauma center increased year by year. The emergency room stay time and time to entering the operating room showed a decrease until 2017; however, these parameters increased again in 2018. Conclusions: The trauma volume in the regional trauma center is appropriate, and some improvements could be observed after its establishment. However, performance indicators reveal the prematurity of the trauma center and its potential for further improvements. Moreover, the development of a national trauma system, beyond regional trauma centers, is required.