Factors Related to Waiting and Staying Time for Patient Care in Emergency Care Center

응급의료센터 내원환자 진료시 소요시간과 관련된 요인

Background: Factors related to waiting and staying time for patient care in emergency care center (ECC) were examined during 1 month from Apr. 1 to Apr. 30, 1997 at an ECC of Yeungnam university hospital in Taegu metropolitan city, to obtain the baseline data on the strategy of effective management of emergency patients. Method: The study subjects consisted of the 1,742 patients who visited at ECC and the data were obtained from the medical records of ECC and direct surveys. Results: The mean interval between ECC admission time and initial care time by each ECC duty residents was 83.1 minutes for male patients and 84.9 minutes for female patients, and mean ECC staying time (time interval between admission and final disposition from ECC) was 718.0 minutes in men and 670.5 minutes in women. As the results, the mean staying time in ECC was higher in older age, and especially the both of initial care time and staying time were highest in patients of medical aid, and shortest in patients of worker's accident compensation insurance. The on admission or not, previously endotracheal-intubation state of patient. The ECC staying ti initial care time was much more delayed in patients of not having previous medical records and the ECC staying time was higher in referred patients from out-patient department, in transferred patients from the other hospitals and patients having previous records, and in patients partly used the order-communicating system. The factors associated with the initial care time were the numbers of ECC patients and the existence of any true emergent patients, being cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) statusme was much more longer in patients of drug intoxication, in CPR patients, in medical department patients, in transfused patients and in patients related to 3 or more departments. And according to the numbers of duty internships, the ECC staying time for four internships was more longer than for five internships and after admission ordering was done, also-more longer in status being of no available beds. As above mentioned results, the factors for the ECC staying time were thought to be statistically significant (P<0.01) according to the patient's age and the laboratory orders and the X-ray films checked. And also the factor for the ECC staying time were thought to be statistically significant (P<0.01) according to the status being of no available beds, the laboratory orders and/or the special laboratory orders, the X-ray films checked, final disposing department, transferred to other hospital or not, home medication or not, admission or not, the grades of beds, the year grades of residents, the causes of ECC visit, the being CPR status on admission or not, the surgical operation or not, being known personells in our hospital. Conclution: Authors concluded that the relieving method of long-staying time in ECC was being establishing the legally proved apparatus which could differentiate the true emergency or non-emergency patients, and that the methods of shortening ECC staying time were doing definitely necessary laboratory orders and managing beds more flexibly to admit for ECC patients and finally this methods were thought to be a method of unloading for ECC personnels and improving the quality of care in emergency patients.

3차 의료기관 응급의료센터의 총 진료소요시간을 단축하여 업무의 효율성을 높이고 환자적체를 해소하는 방안을 마련하기 위하여 l997년 4월 1개월 동안 대구광역시 소재 영남대학교병원 응급의료센터 내원환자 1,742명을 대상으로 환자의 특성, 응급진료와 관련된 내용 및 응급진료시간, 그리고 상호관련성을 분석하였다. 평균 초진소요시간은 83.3분이었고, 남자 83.1분, 여자 84.9분여였으며, 평균 총 진료소요시간은 전체 698분이었고, 남자 718.0분 여자 670.5분이었다. 총 진료소요시간은 고령일수록 증가하였으며 의료보호환자에서 초진 및 퇴실시간이 가장 많이 소요되었고 산재환자는 가장 적게 소요되었다. 전원시 소견서를 구비하지 않은 경우에 초진소요시간어이 많았으며, 총 진료소요시간은 외래어에서 전과된 경우, 타병원으로부터 전원된 경우, 전원시 소견서를 구비한 경우와 OCS를 부분적으로 사용한 경우에 많았다. 약물중독환자, 심폐소생술을 시행한 환자, 내과환자 수혈을 받은 환자 및 복합진료 여부가 3개과 이상이었던 환자에서 총 진료소요시간이 많았으며 당직인턴수가 4명이었던 경우가 총 진료소요 시간이 5명이었던 경우에 비해 더 많이 걸렸다. 입원한 경우, 입원명령후 공실이 없었던 경우에서 역시 총 진료소요시간이 증가하였으며 총 진료소요시간과 유의한 상관관계를 갖는 연속변수로는 환자의 연령, 방사선검사수 및 일반검사수였다. 초진소요시간에 대한 중회귀분석결과, 응급의학과 환자, 응급환자, 내원시 심폐소생술 시행환자유무, 내원시 기관내삽관 여부 등이 유의한 독립변수였다. 총 진료소요시간에 대한 중회귀분석결과, 공실유무, 일반검사수, 최종진료과, 타병원 전원유무, 방사선검사수, 퇴원약 유무, 입원실 종류, 입원유무, 담당전공의 연차, 내원원인, 내원시 심폐소생술 시행환자 유무, 수술여부, 병원직원 지인유무 및 특수검사수가 유의한 독립변수였다. 이상의 결과로 보아 응급의료센터내의 환자적체현상을 해결하기 위한 방안으로는 응급환자와 비응급환자를 분류하는 제도적 장치가 필요하며, 필수적인 경우에 한해 일반검사 및 방사선검사를 실시하도록 하며, 병동내의 과별 지정병상을 유동적으로 운영하여 응급의료센터 환자가 우선적으로 입원될 수 있도록 각과의 협조가 필요할 것으로 사료된다.