A nationwide study of the emergency department utilization rates according to season, day of the week, time of the day, region, and type of emergency department

Han, Jun Ho; Lee, Sung Min; Choi, Goeun; Lee, Hyo Cheol; Heo, Tag

J Korean Soc Emerg Med > Volume 30(4); 2019 > Article

Original Article

Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine 2019;30(4): 318-327.

A nationwide study of the emergency department utilization rates according to season, day of the week, time of the day, region, and type of emergency department

Jun Ho Han¹, Sung Min Lee¹

, Goeun Choi¹

, Hyo Cheol Lee²

, Tag Heo¹

¹Department of Emergency Medicine, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Korea
²Department of Emergency Medical Services, College of Health Science, Honam University, Gwangju, Korea

Correspondence

Sung Min Lee ,Tel: 062-220-6809, Fax: 062-228-7417, Email: magicwizard2@hanmail.net,

Received: October 17, 2018; Revised: January 4, 2019 Accepted: January 15, 2019. Published online: August 30, 2019.

ABSTRACT

Objective:
The mismatch in the demand and supply of emergency medical resources has been a constant issue in Korean emergency departments (EDs). This study analyzed the characteristics and actual utilization of medical bed resources in these EDs.
Method:
The emergency department utilization (EDU) rate was calculated using the Emergency Medical Resource Information System (EMRIS) on the available beds in EDs from April 2014 to January 2015. The EDU rate was analyzed according to the season, day of the week, time of day, and ED type. Furthermore, the ratio between the maximum and minimum EDU rates was also compared between the regions.
Results:
A total of 14,889,750 data points were included. The EDU rate was relatively high during winter and on Sundays, and was highest between 20:00 and 22:00. The ratio between the maximum and minimum EDU rates according to the time of day was highest in Gyeongbuk (5.4) and lowest in Daegu (1.4). Moreover, the EDU rate according to the ED type was highest in the regional emergency medical center (66.7%).
Conclusion:
Significant differences were observed in the EDU rates according to the season, day of the week, time of the day, region, and ED type. Therefore, EMRIS should allocate resources based on the data on both the hospital and regional characteristics.

Key words: Emergency service; Hospital; Beds; Information systems