• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.7-24
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• 2020

Purpose: Emergency medical service (EMS) personnel are at high risk of spreading infection. In this study, we used the PRECEDE model to identify the knowledge, status, and barriers to infection control among Korean paramedics to provide basic infection control data. Methods: A total of 164 respondents were analyzed for the study. A questionnaire was administered and collected through an online self-response platform. Descriptive analysis, t-test, ANOVA, multiple regression, and logistic regression analyses were performed to determine infection control practices and associated factors using SAS 9.4. To identify the pathways and direct, indirect, total effects based on the PRECEDE model, we used AMOS 26.0. Results: Highly rated self-efficacy (OR 8.82, 95% CI: 3.23-24.09), awareness (OR 6.05, 95% CI: 2.06-17.72), and enabling factors (OR 3.23, 95% CI: 1.18-8.78) led to superior infection control. As a result of the structural model analysis, the highly rated enabling factors and awareness led to superior practice patterns. Conclusion: Practice is related to self-efficacy, awareness, and enabling factors; however, further research is needed to develop strategies for infection control. In particular, institutional arrangements are needed to improve the enabling factors. Improving infection control performance may lead to better infection control and enhanced protection of EMS personnel and patients against infection risks.

• Journal of the Korean Medical Association
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• v.61 no.12
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• pp.710-714
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• 2018

A law revised in May 2012 provided support to regional and emergency centers for reducing the risk of preventable deaths. In particular, regional trauma centers have been established throughout the nation, with the goal of ensuring that any trauma patient can reach a trauma center within an hour. As a multidisciplinary approach is particularly important in treating severe trauma patients, activation teams are currently organized at each center to perform multiple simultaneous treatments. Under the present system, only 7 departments can participate in these trauma teams; emergency medicine, cardiothoracic surgery, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, radiology, and anesthesiology. Plastic surgeons also play an essential role in treating trauma patients, and in fact currently treat many such cases. Especially in reconstruction procedures in patients with head and neck trauma and wide tissue defects, plastic surgeons possess unique expertise. However, since plastic surgeons are excluded from the trauma response teams due to institutional limitations, we describe the role and necessity of plastic surgery for trauma and emergency patients, and urge that the system be improved.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.121-126
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• 2020

The aim of this study is to suggest ways to capitalize on the golden period for timely response to fire and emergency victims. To implement a system to effectively capitalize on the golden period, there is a need for policy measures as well as legal and social consensus. Precedent research has relentlessly mentioned the need for and feasibility of the priority traffic system for emergency vehicles. To this end, the present study involved an analysis of pilot cases of the priority traffic signal system for emergency vehicles introduced in a city during 26 days, from April 3 to 28, 2017. Out of 58 cases registered with the local 1-1-9 fire house, the number of cases that took advantage of the priority traffic system stood at 16 in response to fire and 11 to first-aid operations. Owing to the system, on average, the response time reduced by 3 min and 50 s in case of fire and by 3 min and 30 s for first aid. There were four complaints registered owing to traffic congestion, and the number of car accidents declined to one from six over the same period in the previous year. Based on these findings, it is safe to say that the priority traffic signal system would be effective for emergency vehicles to capitalize on the golden period if issues identified during the pilot run are resolved.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.121-127
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• 2023

This study aimed to find out the difference in safety knowledge, ability for coping with emergency situations, and first aid awareness before and after introductory scuba diving training. From June 25 to August 30, 2021, data were collected from 86 people who agreed to the study and received introductory education from SSI (Scuba Schools International). Data analysis was analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, and χ²-test using SPSS PC/26.0. As a result of the study, safety knowledge and ability to cope with emergency situations after training showed a statistically significant increase in all items, and first aid awareness increased after training in response to the items to be performed first according to the priority of the frequency analysis result. In addition, it was analyzed that the subjects who were well aware of the scuba diving safety rules had a statistically significantly higher safety knowledge and ability to cope with emergency situations. Therefore, considering the characteristics of scuba diving group education of college students, in order to participate in safe aquatic leisure activities, systematic education and institutional arrangements for safety knowledge and emergency response skills should be prepared from the introductory stage.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.176-184
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• 2020

Purpose: We explored emergency nurses' experiences of coping with moral distress. Methods: A qualitative research design was used. We conducted in-depth interviews with 11 nurses working at a regional emergency medical center in South Korea. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Results: The main theme of nurses' coping with moral distress was "a passive emotion-based response." We also extracted three categories of coping strategies: "uncritical adaptation to anguished situation," "self-justification for not acting," and "flight from ethical decision making." Conclusion: Nurses coped with moral distress in a passive and emotional way, possibly because of perceived incompetence and compliance to an organizational hierarchy. The findings imply that effective approaches to addressing moral distress in emergency nurses are needed at the individual and organizational levels.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.10 no.7
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• pp.71-82
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• 2019

Purpose - This study aims to identify the priorities of medical service quality improvement by customer satisfaction characteristics and potential customer satisfaction improvement (PCSI) index based on the dualistic quality classification of Kano Model (1984) for Comprehensive Health Screeening Center in General Hospitals and Centers only for Comprehensive Health Screening and suggest a direction for future improvement. Research design, data, and methodology - Through advanced research on health screening medical service quality, this study set four service quality factors, including tangible, human, process and supportive factors, and 39 measurement items. Based on these items, the study used 117 questions, which consist of dualistic quality factors, customer satisfaction coefficients, positive and negative questions for PCSI index and questions for current satisfaction. 300 effective samples were collected for adults in their 20s who experienced health screening service in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do and Incheon within the past two years. Collected data were input in the quality evaluation duality table to categorize quality factors and calculate customer satisfaction coefficients by Timko(1993). The study also analyzed PCSI index in comparison with current satisfaction and identified priorities in quality improvement. Results - It was found that the most urgent factors to improve the quality in both groups were adequate waiting hours and emergency response for complications, which are process factors classified as unitary quality. It is urgently needed to improve the quality as the PCSI index was high in supportive factors (complaint response team) as attractive quality in Comprehensive Health Screening Center in General Hospitals and in process factors (prevention of infection) as unitary quality in Centers only for Comprehensive Health Screening. As the PCSI index was low in space use as a tangible factor, it was found that the current level can be maintained instead of improvement. Conclusions - To improve the health screening medical service quality, it is required to focus on process factors (adequate waiting hours, emergency response for complications, prevention of infection) and supportive factors (complaint response team) among service qualities perceived by users. It is proposed to ensure continuous efforts to manage and reinforce priorities as a direction for future improvement in health screening service.

• International journal of advanced smart convergence
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.37-44
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• 2021

At the time of entering the super-aged society, the health problem of the elderly is becoming more prominent due to the rapid digital era caused by COVID-19, but the gap between welfare budgets and welfare benefits according to regional characteristics is still not narrowed and there is a significant difference in emergency medical access. In response, this study proposes an ICT-based New Normal Smart Care System (NNSCS) to bridge the gap I n health and medical problems. This is an integrated system model that links the elderly themselves to health care, self-diagnosis, disease prediction and prevention, and emergency medical services. The purpose is to apply location-based technology and motion recognition technology under smartphones and smartwatches (wearable) environments to detect health care and risks, predict and diagnose diseases using health and medical big data, and minimize treatment latency. Through the New Normal Smart Care System (NNSCS), which links health care, prevention, and rapid emergency treatment with easy and simple access to health care for the elderly, it aims to minimize health gaps and solve health problems for the elderly.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.229-240
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• 2019

Korea is experiencing various disasters both natural and artificial. This study is descriptive research designed to examine the perception of the disaster response ability of fire-paramedics during the response stage of disaster management. The subjects of this study were EMT-P's who had more than 2 years of experience in the field at a fire station in G Province. The questionnaire, including the items for the sub-factors of the field response ability, were prepared and 161 final questionnaires were collected and analyzed with the SPSS program. The mean scores of triage ability, patient treatment ability, patient transfer ability, disaster support ability, and disaster response speed were 3.53, 3.68, 3.66, 2.95, and 3.44, respectively. As a result of multiple regression analysis, variables affecting the speed of disaster response were in the order of patient treatment ability, patient transfer ability, and disaster support ability. In conclusion, fire-paramedics will have to consider the ability to treat patients, transfer patients, and disaster support to improve disaster response speed, and, ultimately, disaster response guidelines should be developed to improve disaster response capabilities.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.293-298
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• 2007

The aged are faced with increasing risk for falls. The aged have more fragile bones than others. When falls occur, it is important to detect this emergency state because such events often lead to more serious illness or even death. A implementation of PDA system, for detection of emergency situation, was developed using 3-axis accelerometer in this paper as follows. The signals were acquired from the 3-axis accelerometer, and then transmitted to the PDA through a Bluetooth module. This system can classify human activity, and also detect an emergency state like falls. When the fall occurs, the system generates the alarm on the PDA. If a subject does not respond to the alarm, the system determines whether the current situation is an emergency state or not, and then sends some information to the emergency center in the case of an urgent situation. Three different studies were conducted on 12 experimental subjects, with results indicating a good accuracy. The first study was performed to detect the posture change of human daily activity. The second study was performed to detect the correct direction of fall. The third study was conducted to check the classification of the daily physical activity. Each test lasted at least 1 min. in the third study. The output of the acceleration signal was compared and evaluated by changing various postures after attaching a 3-axis accelerometer module on the chest. The newly developed system has some important features such as portability, convenience and low cost. One of the main advantages of this system is that it is available at home healthcare environment. Another important feature lies in its low cost of manufacture. The implemented system can detect the fall accurately, so it will be widely used in emergency situations.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.151-162
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• 2014

This study proposes an optimization model to plan the patient distribution and medical resource allocation considering the diverse characteristics of disaster. For reflecting the particularity of disaster response, we configured a few scenarios such as availability of emergency surgery of non-major medical staff and the change in number of patients estimated reflecting the uncertainty, urgency and convergence of disaster. And we finally tested the effects of the scenarios' combination on the objective function defined as maximum number of survival patients. Our experimental results are expected to highlight the significance of the proposed model as well as the applicability of scenarios under disaster response.