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1 "Psychiatric hospitals"
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Original Article
Experience of Medical Personnel Dispatched to Isolated Psychiatric Institution in Korea During COVID-19: Content Analysis
Youngjoo Kim, Jung Hee Hyun, Jacob Lee, Yoonyoung Nam, Eunshil Yim, Kyounga Lee, Baegju Na
J Prev Med Public Health. 2025;58(4):431-439.   Published online June 18, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.24.680
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AbstractAbstract AbstractSummary PDF
Objectives
This study investigates problems related to medical response, and the support system among medical personnel dispatched to the psychiatric hospital when the first cluster of infections occurred in a psychiatric hospital in Korea.
Methods
Contents analysis was conducted for the responses of the medical personnel who responded to the interview. Training about basic quarantine rules, and safety management is not provided in the early dispatch stages.
Results
No guidance is available regarding the human rights protection of medical staff. Additionally, no on-site situation-control tower is available. Participants reported that temporary quarantine measures implemented at Hospital D to restrict the movement of patients and medical staff from the external world are problematic. The most significant problem is the insufficient governmental systemic support and consideration for protecting. Both the human rights of psychiatric patients and the human rights of the medical staff who care for them.
Conclusions
Future responses to new infectious diseases should include the establishment of a continuous support system in the community by changing the collective and closed-room environments as well as isolation-centered mental healthcare systems to protect the human rights of patients with mental disorders. Additionally, response drills for people with mental illness in closed environments should be practiced in response to emerging infectious diseases at ordinary times. Finally, training and emergency measures for medical staff dispatched to these facilities and a manual for the protection of the human rights of medical staff should be prepared.
Summary
Korean summary
이 논문은 COVID-19 초기 확산 시기, 한국 청도군의 한 정신병원에서 집단감염이 발생했을 때 파견된 의료진의 경험을 질적 내용 분석을 통해 조사한 연구입니다. 연구 결과, 정부의 준비 부족, 현장 통제 시스템 부재, 감염병 대응 훈련 미비, 인권 보호 기준 부재 등 여러 문제점이 드러났으며, 향후 정신질환자 대상 감염병 대응을 위해 지역사회 기반의 지속 가능한 지원체계와 의료진 인권 보호 매뉴얼 마련이 필요하다고 제안합니다.
Key Message
This study qualitatively analyzed the experiences of medical personnel dispatched to a psychiatric hospital in Cheongdo-gun, Korea, during a COVID-19 outbreak. It revealed critical issues such as lack of governmental preparedness, absence of on-site control systems, inadequate training, and insufficient protection of human rights for both patients and staff. The findings highlight the need for a sustainable, community-based mental healthcare system and the development of emergency manuals and human rights protection protocols for medical personnel in future infectious disease responses.

JPMPH : Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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