• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.91-111
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aims to compare 119 emergency medical services (EMS) in South Korea and Japan to provide essential data for EMS improvement in South Korea. Methods: Recent data and regulations on firefighting and EMS in South Korea and Japan were analyzed and compared. Results: South Korea follows a centralized approach to EMS, whereas Japan operates with autonomous bodies that establish their own criteria. Japan considers more regional variables than South Korea. In South Korea, there are shortages in fire station deployment among the 119 emergency medical resources in certain regions, leading to significant regional disparities. South Korea has a larger population served by its 119 emergency medical resources with a higher workload and dispatch numbers than Japan. The percentage of non-transported patients among the total number of dispatches was higher in South Korea. Conclusion: Increasing the number of medical professionals and ambulances per population to the level of Japan to reflect local conditions and include various underlying variables such as daytime population, aging, and emergency dispatch conditions in the deployment of 119 emergency resources, and to reduce the deployment gap between regions, will contribute to improving the performance of the South Korea EMS system.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.31-46
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• 2010

This study was intended to analyze the clinical characteristic of the patient with hypoglycemia and the status of prehospital treatments by 119 emergency medical technicians well as the cause of inappropriate emergency treatment by 119 emergency medical technicians in a bid to seek the measures for improvement, thereby enhancing the emergency medical services before medical treatment at hospital. Examination of the daily work log on 430 patients suffering with hypoglycemia who were sent to the university hospital in Gyunggi-Province by 119 emergency medical technicians, beginning on Jan 1, 2004 till Dec 31. 2008 was carried out and the survey of 206 119 emergency medical technicians working at the region of Gyunggid-Province was conducted from Sep 19 through Oct 6, 2009. Evaluation of the frequency and percentage and ANOVA analysis using SPSS WIN 14.0 program was carried out. In view of the examination of daily emergency work log and questionnaire, prehospital treatment for the patients with hypoglycemia needs to be further improved in general, and to provide the emergency treatment in accurate and timely manner, improvement of the system such as assignment of licensed rescue members and development of protocol that will replace the medical consultant system, mandatory emergency treatment, constant and efficient training and maintenance of emergency rescue records shall be implemented, and furthermore, social recognition to 119 emergency medical technicians shall be improved to encourage them to perform more positive way and manner.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.29-43
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• 2012

Purpose : The goal of the present study is to provide the basic information to medical control which is the most important improving factor of pre-hospital medical treatment. Method : A total of 749 records of direct medical control were collected from 119 EMTs in emergency medical information center of Daejeon, Chungcheongnam-do and Chungcheongbuk-do from March 1, 2010 to February 28, 2011. Results : The 119 EMTs should record the level of qualification of EMT and general patient history taking precisely when they receive direct medical controls. The doctors should take medical controls within the task range of qualification of EMTs. Conclusion : It is necessary to establish the guideline of medical direction and protocol of prehospital emergency care. The quality improvement of pre-hospital emergency services will be possible by the guideline and protocol.

• Journal of information and communication convergence engineering
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.284-289
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• 2021

This study attempted to identify the service satisfaction with the 119 emergency service and the factors that affect it based on the responses of subjects who used the service. Data collection was conducted from February 11 to March 11, 2021, using convenience sampling. A total of 1842 subjects who used emergency medical services using 119 ambulance in 2020 participated. For the collected data, frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation were calculated, and t-test, analysis of variance, and multiple regression analysis were performed using SPSS 23.0. Based on these results, to further enhance the satisfaction of users of the 119 emergency service and the quality of emergency medical services, it is important to improve the quality of paramedics through education and systems. In addition, to increase user satisfaction, efficient and systematic communication education is required. The quality of emergency medical services will increase only when communication skills required for explanations and promoting understanding are improved.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.67-77
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• 2020

Purpose: The study aims to improve the quality of emergency medical services by surveying the user's satisfaction of 119 emergency medical services nationwide. Methods: From December 21 to December 27 each year from 2015 to 2017 a total of 5,889 people were surveyed by phone call in fire station. Results: The average degree of satisfaction with the emergency medical services was 4.17±0.70, with 85.1% respondents reporting being 'satisfied'. Factors like being a patient, injuries, residential area, and scene arrival time affected satisfaction. From 2015 to 2017, the satisfaction degree decreased every year, with factors affecting this results including "first aid guidance of phone call" and "rapidity of emergency medical services." The highest satisfaction factors were 'friendly acting of emergency medical services' and 'appropriate offer of emergency medical services', while the lowest satisfaction factors were 'first aid guidance of phone call' and 'adequacy of emergency medical team'. Conclusion: The quality of emergency medical services needs to be improved by managing the quality of phone call first aid guidance and the assignment of adequate emergency medical teams to increase user satisfaction.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.157-172
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• 2024

Purpose: Ensuring prompt and consistent 119 emergency services for all citizens is crucial and requires every region to adhere to prescribed deployment standards Methods: This study assessed the compliance with 119 emergency resource deployment standards in 229 districts (si-gun-gu) by analyzing data from 18 fire headquarters as of December 31, 2022. Results: At the Sigun-gu level, 16 areas (7%) did not meet the fire station standards. Among the 229 si-gun-gu, 25 (10.9%) failed operational ambulance standards, and 114 (49.8%) did not meet the 119 first responder standards. Areas lacking fire station standards had lower financial self-sufficiency and higher elderly and single-person elderly household proportions (p<.05). Areas not meeting ambulance standards had lower proportions of these populations, but higher financial self-sufficiency. In addition, areas that did not meet the 119 first-responder standards had greater financial autonomy (p<.05). Areas meeting only basic fire station standards had higher proportions of elderly and single-person households and lower financial self-sufficiency. Areas meeting only ambulance standards had lower financial autonomy, whereas those meeting only emergency medical technician standards had lower financial self-sufficiency and a higher elderly proportions (p<.05). Conclusion: Si-gun-gu, with a large elderly population and poor finances, often fails to meet fire station standards and meets only the basic criteria. Continuous monitoring and targeted management are crucial for reducing disparities in 119 resource allocation and improving the overall deployment.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.5-15
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• 2008

Purpose : Centering on users(patients) who are offered the patient transport service by the emergency medical service system in our country, the use and satisfaction are analyzed with the transport service in 119 Emergency Medical Service System and Private transport agent. Results : 1. As for personnel in ambulance cars, 119 emergency staff showed a higher boarding rate of the first-class emergency medical technicians than private transportation centers : 48.4% and 17.7%, respectively. 2. Private transportation centers showed higher user satisfaction with transportation service than 119 emergency staff, which was not statistically significant. 3. As for the case that needs to receive the transport service in the future, the ratio with the will to use 119 Emergency Medical Service System(70.9%) was indicated to be much higher than the ratio of the private transport agent(29.1%). Suggestions : First, Centers transporting first-aid patients should essentially secure a sufficient number of first-class emergency medical technicians as professional emergency medical staff to reinforce qualitative improvement in emergency medical service. Second, It is necessary to establish a systematic monitoring system and develop educational programs in order to enhance satisfaction with the use of 119 emergency staff. Third, the government or the local government needs to positively support and guide the private transport agent, which is in charge of the public medical service.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.35-48
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• 2019

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the rationality for and countermeasures against the use of prehospital patient restraint (PPR) techniques in efforts to limit violent behavior toward 119 emergency medical technicians (EMTs). Methods: Previous countermeasures to limit violent behavior toward 119 EMTs and medical personnel were focused on strict reactive and passive proactive responses. However, those in support of the countermeasures do not believe that violent and criminal behavior can be limited or extinguished by strengthening the punishment unconditionally. Results: When it comes to the far-reaching effects of stigmatization on people who engage in violent and criminal behavior, it is possible that unconditional punishment leads to more crime, increases the costs of imprisonment, and consequently, adds to the financial burden of the government. Conclusion: Thus, we are faced with an urgent need to prepare legal grounds for the use of PPR techniques by 119 EMTs for agitated or combative patients only, with direct medical oversight. Moreover, the legal foundation for the use of PPR techniques also needs to be established for emergency medical personnel. The use of PPR techniques not only ensures the safety of emergency medical services personnel, but also protects patients from injuring themselves and others.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.63-76
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• 2024

Purpose: To analyze trends related to demography and EMS and to provide supporting data for the appropriate deployment of EMS providers. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data on patients transported by 119 EMS, demographics, and EMS factors were collected using the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) and the National Fire Agency annual report from 2017 to 2021. Results: During the study period, the total number of patients and those with severe disorders transported via 119 EMS showed an increasing trend. The total fertility rate and population during the same period tended to decrease, and the population density and number of households increased; however, there was a disparity between regions. The main demographic factors affecting the number of patients transported were population density and total fertility rate, while the main EMS factors were the number of ambulances and provision of emergency medical information services(hospital guidance, pharmacy information, and first aid guidance). Conclusion: From the perspective of EMS providers' force deployment, it is necessary to consider population density, population, number of households, total fertility rate, and number of emergency medical institutions and to strengthen the role of diverting the use of 119 EMS by minor patients by providing emergency medical information.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.113-123
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• 2007

This study analyzed the appropriateness of the spatial distribution of fire stations and emergency medical facilities, the main providers of emergency medical care, in Busan. The area over which the 119 emergency medical services were situated in relation to the dispatch and transport of urgent rescue services was examined. Addresses of patients requiring 119 emergency services were obtained and stored as individual units so that they could be analyzed in a Geographic Information System(GIS). The time taken by emergency services to reach patients and transport them to a hospital or other facility was measured in seconds. By inputting additional information such as the location of the 119 dispatch centers, jurisdictions, and emergency medical facilities, the GIS allowed for analyses not only of the temporal but also the spatial aspects of emergency medical services. The results showed that of 16 Gu/Gun and 226 Eup/Myen/Dong in the Busan area, only 41% of Busan's emergency medical services could respond to and transport patients within five minutes. In all districts, most emergency medical services were provided within five to ten minutes. However, the pattern of hospital use to transfer patients to hospitals was inefficient. Based on the temporal and spatial distributions of fire stations and emergency medical agencies, and on their dispatch and transport times, this study sets out and compares ideal dispatch and transportation patterns for the efficient use of Busan's emergency medical services and resources.