Samsung Seoul Hospital's 'Cardiovascular Hotline' Phone Rang Over 1,000 Times

Achievements Over Two Years Since Establishing the Cardiovascular Hotline Integrated Number
"Active Cooperation for Timely Treatment of Severe and Emergency Patients"

The Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Hospital at Samsung Medical Center announced on the 21st that the number of calls received through the cardiovascular hotline has surpassed 1,000.

A person in charge of the cardiovascular hotline at the Samsung Medical Center Partners Center is handling phone calls related to transfer requests for severe and emergency patients.
[Photo by Samsung Medical Center]

Samsung Medical Center has been operating a hotline channel for patients with severe and emergency cardiovascular diseases since 2008. In July 2021, the hotline system was reorganized to establish an integrated number for the 'Cardiovascular Hotline,' through which more than 1,400 referrals have been received over the past two years.

The Cardiovascular Hotline operates 24/7, 365 days a year, to ensure safe transfers and prompt admissions for severe and emergency patients. During daytime working hours, calls are connected to dedicated nurses, while during nights, weekends, and holidays, calls are directly connected to attending physicians in the cardiology intensive care unit.

When connected to the hotline, patients are immediately assigned to the appropriate specialist among professors of cardiology, cardiac surgery, or vascular surgery based on the disease. Depending on the patient’s condition, a hospital room or intensive care unit is prepared to receive the transfer or emergency room admission. After admission, patients are linked to specialized teams for cardiac surgery, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), coronary artery, and aortic care to receive expert treatment.

Samsung Medical Center explained that since September last year, it has been operating dedicated beds for the Cardiovascular Hotline to prevent admission cancellations due to bed shortages. In fact, 78% of all referred patients received treatment within one day, enabling rapid connection to specialized care for severe and emergency cases.

Patients admitted through the Cardiovascular Hotline who have completed acute phase treatment are timely transferred back to community medical institutions. The Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Hospital published and distributed a booklet titled 'Referral and Transfer - Patient Care Guidelines for Cardiac Disease Patients' to cooperating hospitals and clinics to ensure smooth patient management even after transfer.

Hyun-Chul Kwon, director of the Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Hospital, stated, "Recently, the nation has been focusing on policies to activate networks for timely treatment of severe and emergency cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Based on the Cardiovascular Hotline system operated for the past 15 years, Samsung Medical Center’s Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Hospital will continue to actively cooperate."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.