Incheon finds solution to 'emergency room뺑뺑이' through hospital-firefighter 'hotline communication'

The persistent issue of "emergency room뺑뺑이"—patients being shuttled between multiple hospitals without receiving timely care—has been a grave concern across South Korea. However, the city of Incheon offers a beacon of hope, demonstrating that effective solutions can be forged through enhanced communication and innovative technology.

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In a critical situation, field paramedics have difficulty knowing hospital conditions, and medical staff have difficulty understanding the patient's condition in detail before arrival.

Incheon's success in eliminating "emergency room뺑뺑이" instances is largely attributed to 'iNet,' a critical communication hotline established in October last year. This system directly links key personnel from the Incheon Fire Department, the city's emergency medical support center, and 21 regional emergency medical institutions. As highlighted by Yang Hyeok-jun, head of the Incheon Emergency Medical Support Center, "iNet acts as a bridge, connecting field responders who lack hospital information with medical staff who need detailed patient data before arrival."

This real-time, problem-solving approach is particularly crucial during vulnerable periods, such as late nights and weekends, when staffing levels are reduced and specialized care might be scarce. The article recounts a specific case where a patient with a severe facial injury requiring general anesthesia was successfully treated thanks to the immediate coordination facilitated by iNet. This underscores the system's ability to overcome logistical and medical challenges that might otherwise lead to critical delays.

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Since the launch of iNet last year, there have been no cases of patients being unable to find a hospital.

Beyond the hotline, Incheon is pioneering an "Emergency Map" application. This tool leverages data to visualize emergency transport routes, analyze patient transfer patterns, and predict optimal hospital destinations based on real-time bed availability and a hospital's experience with specific conditions. This data-driven approach aims to optimize the entire emergency medical process, ensuring that patients are directed to the most appropriate facility efficiently. From a South Korean perspective, this initiative represents a significant step towards building a truly 'regionally complete' emergency medical safety net, where geographical location or time of day does not determine the quality of care received. It embodies the principle that essential services should be accessible to all citizens, regardless of where they live.

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Emergency medical care must be a regionally complete social safety net.