Eight out of 10 Respondents Say the Central Government Should Support Regional National University Hospitals

• ■The more severe the illness, the stronger the patient’s preference for major tertiary hospitals in Seoul over regional national university hospitals.

• ■The annual net cost resulting from patients choosing Seoul-based tertiary hospitals over regional national university hospitals is estimated to be up to KRW 4.627 trillion.

• ■Identified areas for improvement include: securing specialized personnel (81.0%), enhancing emergency care capacity (80.5%), and strengthening the capacity to treat severe illnesses (80.1%).

• ■The central government’s support is needed to improve the institutional environment, such as by reforming the accountable care system, so that regional national university hospitals can form the backbone of the public healthcare institutions.

KIHASA has published the Health and Welfare Issue & Focus, No. 456: "Costs Arising from Patient Outflow and Public Perception of Regional National University Hospitals." The lead researcher for this publication is Kim Heenyun, Associate Research Fellow at the Department of Healthcare Policy Research.

“With gaps in essential health services and regional health disparities widening, the roles and functions of regional national university hospitals―in patient care, education, research, and public health―have recently gained prominence,” said Dr. Kim. “This brief estimates the net cost incurred when patients from outside Seoul choose tertiary hospitals in the capital over their local national university hospitals. It also examines public perceptions of national university hospitals to provide evidence for policy development aimed at strengthening them.”

Dr. Kim said, “According to the Survey on Public Perceptions of National University Hospitals among Residents from outside Seoul, 81.2% of respondents were concerned about the state of regional health care. Many respondents said they would prefer tertiary hospitals in Seoul to regional national university hospitals for the treatment of serious illnesses.”

He estimated that the net cost to regional patients of using Seoul-based tertiary hospitals instead of local national university hospitals would amount to KRW 412.1 billion for transportation and accommodation alone. When differences in service fees and opportunity costs are factored in, the total is estimated to be around KRW 4.627 trillion.

“In addition,” he said, “80.9% of respondents said the government should actively support capacity building for national university hospitals in the provinces. The following areas were identified by survey respondents as top priorities for improvement: securing specialized medical personnel (81.0%), enhancing emergency care capabilities (80.5%), and strengthening the capacity to treat serious conditions (80.1%).”

Finally, Kim emphasized that the central government needs to support regional national university hospitals so that they can serve as the hub health institutions in their communities. Given the limited health resources in the provinces, it is essential to establish a cooperative network centered on national university hospitals so as to fill current service gaps and improve care for serious illnesses.”