KJCKorea
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Purpose: This study aims to empirically identify the importance of architectural planning factors by sector to ensure medical continuity in disaster-prepared medical facilities responding to large-scale disasters. Method: Survey indicators were established based on a literature review of previous studies, and the validity of the questionnaire was ensured through verification by four experts to secure objectivity and practical feasibility. A survey was conducted with 48 medical planners specializing in major general hospitals in South Korea. The collected data, consisting of 79 specific items across 15 sectors, were analyzed using a statistical program through a one-way ANOVA, which ultimately derived the importance and valid items for each sector. Results: Key factors directly related to functional continuity and spatial flexibility, such as 'In-Hospital Infection Response Design' (4.66), 'Finding a Way in Public Places' (4.65), and 'Securing Large-scale Space Infrastructure' (4.50), scored over 4.50 points of importance. In addition, experienced MP (10 years or more) prioritized macro-level operating system and preemptive facility investment, while junior MP was found to be more sensitive to micro-level physical guidelines. It was found that the difference between the groups was significant in the ANOVA analysis and the six questions. Implication: The results of this study provide practical decision-making criteria for the planning and design stages of future resilient hospitals by integrating 'disaster safety hardware' and 'systematic operation software'.

Purpose: The functional scope of general hospitals varies with bed capacity, yet current facility standards in South Korea tend to treat general hospitals as a single category, potentially failing to reflect differences in scale and function. This study aimed to empirically examine differences in medical resource composition by bed-scale group and to identify long-term trends in their change, with a view to informing facility planning standards. Methods: Data were drawn from Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) records, reconstructed by 100-bed intervals for general hospitals and tertiary hospitals from 2014 to 2026. In addition to group-level mean trends over time, distributional statistics — median, interquartile range (IQR), and coefficient of variation (CV) — were calculated to assess within-group variation among hospitals. Results: Medical resources including specialist physicians, critical care beds, and diagnostic equipment showed a general tendency to increase across most bed-scale groups, suggesting a possible trend toward functional upgrading. Resources tended to grow in a stepwise rather than proportional pattern, with more pronounced differences at thresholds of approximately 300, 500, 800, and 1,000 beds. Within-group variation was also considerable: CVs reached 40–50% for specialist physicians and 34–75% for adult ICU beds in the 200–399-bed range, indicating that hospitals within the same bed-scale group may differ substantially in their actual resource composition. Implications: These findings suggest that bed capacity alone may have limited value for estimating medical resource levels at the individual hospital level. Current standards tend to be calibrated to medium-to-large hospitals, potentially posing practical difficulties for hospitals under 300 beds, which constitute the majority of general hospitals in Korea. Differentiated guideline frameworks applicable selectively according to hospital scale and medical characteristics may warrant consideration in future standard-setting discussions.

Purpose: This study empirically verifies the effects of outpatient waiting space remodeling in a medical facility, focusing on the separation of infection-related departments (pulmonology and infectious disease). Methods: A quasi-experimental design was adopted, with remodeled department patients (n=91) as the experimental group and non-remodeled general internal medicine patients (n=90) as the control group. A total of 181 patients completed a five-point Likert scale questionnaire measuring comfort, crowding, and infection safety, analyzed using t-tests and correlation analysis. Results: All three hypotheses were supported. The remodeled group showed significantly higher comfort satisfaction (4.82 vs. 4.61, p<.05), with notable differences in color, noise, spatial layout, cleanliness, and furniture. Crowding scores were markedly lower in the experimental group (1.30 vs. 2.80, t=−9.18, p<.001), confirming that departmental separation is the most effective means of reducing crowding. Infection safety satisfaction was significantly higher among control group patients (4.64 vs. 3.72, t=−5.71, p<.001), and awareness of the separation was identified as a critical factor in enhancing perceived safety. Implications: These findings provide empirical evidence supporting evidence-based design (EBD) in healthcare facility remodeling.