J Korean Soc Emerg Med.  2013 Apr;24(2):131-141.

Survey of Emergency-Related Physicians on Inter-hospital Transfers via 1339 in Busan

• Cho SJ
• Hwang SY
• Lee JH
• Kim HH
• Lee SH
• Park MR
• Park SC

Abstract

PURPOSE
In most areas of the world, transfers between emergency centers are performed through direct communication between physicians of transferring and receiving hospitals. The emergency medical information center "1339" (or 1339, for short), which had mediated inter-hospital transfers for about 10 years, was recently discontinued. This study aimed to survey the stance of physicians at transferring and receiving hospitals on the importance of 1339 functions.
METHODS
In May 2012, before the discontinuation of 1339 as a mediator, a questionnaire was distributed to emergency-related physicians at several hospitals on the level of emergency care in Busan.
RESULTS
There were 202 answers. Physicians of high level emergency centers had a higher tendency to transfer patients without pre-contact for transfer (p=0.019). The physicians at each level of care thought that direct communication between physicians was more accurate (69.9%), but mediation through 1339 was more convenient (53.6%). Mediation through 1339 was the most frequent resource used for pre-contact of inter-hospital transfers (58.1%).
CONCLUSION
Physicians at each level of care tended to find pre-contact between physicians more accurate for inter-hospital transfers; however, they also thought mediation through 1339 was more convenient and it was the most frequently used resource for pre-contact of inter-hospital transfers.

Keyword

Transfer; Emergency Medical Services; Community Networks; Hospital Information Systems

MeSH Terms

Community Networks
Emergencies
Emergency Medical Services
Hospital Information Systems
Humans
Information Centers
Negotiating
Surveys and Questionnaires