Understanding the current status of the project to support emergency imaging interpretation in vulnerable areas and evaluating the effectiveness of project improvement
- Author:
Jin-Hee LEE
1
;
Seonyeong LIM
;
Dai Hai CHOI
;
Eunsil GO
Author Information
1. National Emergency Medical Center, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
- From:Journal of the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine
2026;37(2):104-111
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Objective:This study examined the status and effectiveness of the “Emergency Imaging Interpretation Support Project in Vulnerable Areas,” which was implemented to provide rapid treatment and improve the service quality for patients in vulnerable areas with inadequate emergency medical infrastructure. After evaluating the project effectiveness, this paper discusses future development directions.
Methods:This study was retrospective. The categorical variables were analyzed using frequency tables and chi-square tests, while the continuous variables were presented as means. Analysis of variance was used to compare the satisfaction survey results across the 3 years.
Results:Compared with patients in nonvulnerable areas, patients in vulnerable areas were more likely to visit local emergency medical facilities (P<0.001), had a higher proportion of Korean Triage Acuity Scale levels 4 and 5 (P<0.001), and were also significantly older (P<0.001). Satisfaction with the reduction in time required to provide definitive treatment was highest in 2023 (P=0.005), but satisfaction with all other survey items was highest in 2024.
Conclusion:The project to support imaging interpretation in vulnerable areas will greatly help provide rapid treatment to emergency patients in vulnerable areas. Nevertheless, policies and measures are needed to encourage their participation because few institutions have participated in the project.
