• Health Policy and Management
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.315-324
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• 2016

Underserved area is a region that has a lack of healthcare resources. In the context of Korea, however, there are not enough detailed criteria for underserved areas. In this study, we aimed to develop indicators for underserved area through Delphi technique. We systematically reviewed the existing measure of underserved area. Sixty indicators were extracted as candidates across four domains in secondary medical care. Four domains are demand, medical resource, quality of care, and health outcome. To develop indicator, two round Delphi survey was conducted among 15 professional experts such as professionals and public administrators. In conclusion, 2 final indicators (accessibility, medical utilization) was determined as an appropriate measure in order to designate underserved area for secondary medical services. Using our criteria from Delphi technique, 36 areas were found as underserved areas for the secondary medical care.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.39-48
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• 2021

Purpose: The study aims to demonstrate regional diagnosis methods and results combined with geographical information to expand the physical infrastructure related to community care services. To this end, the physical infrastructure for the core elements of community care was analyzed in terms of the fulfilment and access of facilities to derive the underserved elements and regions. Methods: Utilizes GIS network analysis techniques that can derive physical infrastructure service areas. Underserved elements are derived by comparing and analyzing the service area for each core element. Next, the underserved regions for each core element are derived through the overlapping of the set service area and the diagnosis population. Results: Among the physical infrastructure by core elements for community care, the housing support element was considerably weak, and the nursing care facility compared to health care was also analyzed to be weak. In addition, underserved regions by dong in Mapo-gu were deduced and presented for each diagnosed population. Implications: The discovery of underserved elements and underserved regions is meaningful as a diagnostic process that can derive the physical infrastructure that needs to be expanded urgently for the realization of community care and determine the priority projects and targets of the projects.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.127-136
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• 2019

Medical schools have been working to produce competent doctors and improve the quality of care by introducing and implementing new curricula and innovative teaching and learning methods. Despite these efforts, health disparities within and between countries still exist. To close these gaps, medical schools must identify the priorities of the community, region, and/or nation and conduct education, research, and service that reflect them-the core foundation of the social accountability of medical schools. Many medical schools and networks around the world have tried to achieve social accountability, but this needs more attention in Korea. This study will review the literature in aims to improve understanding and promote the implementation of the social accountability of medical schools. Most medical schools that practice the principles of social accountability focus primarily on the medically underserved in their communities or those who have limited access to health services, and have built collaborative partnerships with stakeholders to meet the needs of society. In addition, in order to implement social accountability effectively and efficiently, medical schools have developed strategies and various evaluation frameworks appropriate to the context of each school. To have more socially accountable medical schools, it is necessary to clarify the concept of social accountability and to establish a system that can evaluate the impacts. Medical schools exist to alleviate suffering and promote health, and this can be accomplished through social accountability.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.11 no.11
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• pp.345-352
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• 2020

Under "Emergency Doctor Security Act of 2007", Japanese government focuses on relocating doctors in medically underserved areas and matching supply and demand of manpower in order to resolve the ubiquity of specific treatment departments. Particularly, there are two alternatives to secure the number of local physicians and avoid the regional shortage of doctors in the short term. Firstly, the government attracts existing physicians to the region. Secondly, the government increases the capability of regional clinical training system to prevent the influx of doctors to the larger cities. Also, it seeks solutions from various perspectives, such as cultivating manpower to work in vulnerable areas through the regional frame system and autonomous medical college. This study introduces the case of Japan as a benchmark and suggests that policymakers should focus on the recent conflict between the government and the medical consultation. More specifically, this study provides policy implications on the alternative measures for securing the manpower of regional doctors.