Background: The adequate provision of medical care relies on the availability of a suitable number of healthcare professionals. To ensure stability in healthcare delivery, it is crucial for a country to accurately estimate and address the supply of doctors. This study aims to contribute to the formulation of effective policies for securing and distributing doctor manpower, with a focus on medically underserved areas at both the national and local government levels. Methods: Employing the system dynamics methodology, this research utilizes stock and flow diagrams, including level and rate diagrams, to quantitatively analyze the cumulative structure of the doctor supply and demand system. Results: The analysis reveals a substantial shortage of clinical doctors in Gyeongsangnam-do, amounting to 15,477 as of 2021. Projections indicate a need for an additional 7,570 doctors by the year 2050 to maintain the current healthcare service level. Examination of medical treatment rights and distribution across cities and counties indicates an insufficiency in doctor supply relative to demand in the majority of regions. Alternative scenarios, such as increasing medical school enrollments and adjusting retirement ages, were explored, yet none provided a sufficient resolution to the shortage. Conclusion The findings underscore an impending exacerbation of the doctor shortage in Gyeongsangnam-do if the existing system is perpetuated. Addressing this issue necessitates not only augmenting the number of medical school students and adapting retirement age policies but also implementing diverse strategies employed successfully in other countries. This study serves as a foundational step in informing evidence-based policies aimed at securing an ample and appropriately distributed doctor workforce for sustainable healthcare delivery.

Background: The adequate provision of medical care relies on the availability of a suitable number of healthcare professionals. To ensure stability in healthcare delivery, it is crucial for a country to accurately estimate and address the supply of doctors. This study aims to contribute to the formulation of effective policies for securing and distributing doctor manpower, with a focus on medically underserved areas at both the national and local government levels. Methods: Employing the system dynamics methodology, this research utilizes stock and flow diagrams, including level and rate diagrams, to quantitatively analyze the cumulative structure of the doctor supply and demand system. Results: The analysis reveals a substantial shortage of clinical doctors in Gyeongsangnam-do, amounting to 15,477 as of 2021. Projections indicate a need for an additional 7,570 doctors by the year 2050 to maintain the current healthcare service level. Examination of medical treatment rights and distribution across cities and counties indicates an insufficiency in doctor supply relative to demand in the majority of regions. Alternative scenarios, such as increasing medical school enrollments and adjusting retirement ages, were explored, yet none provided a sufficient resolution to the shortage. Conclusion The findings underscore an impending exacerbation of the doctor shortage in Gyeongsangnam-do if the existing system is perpetuated. Addressing this issue necessitates not only augmenting the number of medical school students and adapting retirement age policies but also implementing diverse strategies employed successfully in other countries. This study serves as a foundational step in informing evidence-based policies aimed at securing an ample and appropriately distributed doctor workforce for sustainable healthcare delivery.

Background: The adequate provision of medical care relies on the availability of a suitable number of healthcare professionals. To ensure stability in healthcare delivery, it is crucial for a country to accurately estimate and address the supply of doctors. This study aims to contribute to the formulation of effective policies for securing and distributing doctor manpower, with a focus on medically underserved areas at both the national and local government levels. Methods: Employing the system dynamics methodology, this research utilizes stock and flow diagrams, including level and rate diagrams, to quantitatively analyze the cumulative structure of the doctor supply and demand system. Results: The analysis reveals a substantial shortage of clinical doctors in Gyeongsangnam-do, amounting to 15,477 as of 2021. Projections indicate a need for an additional 7,570 doctors by the year 2050 to maintain the current healthcare service level. Examination of medical treatment rights and distribution across cities and counties indicates an insufficiency in doctor supply relative to demand in the majority of regions. Alternative scenarios, such as increasing medical school enrollments and adjusting retirement ages, were explored, yet none provided a sufficient resolution to the shortage. Conclusion The findings underscore an impending exacerbation of the doctor shortage in Gyeongsangnam-do if the existing system is perpetuated. Addressing this issue necessitates not only augmenting the number of medical school students and adapting retirement age policies but also implementing diverse strategies employed successfully in other countries. This study serves as a foundational step in informing evidence-based policies aimed at securing an ample and appropriately distributed doctor workforce for sustainable healthcare delivery.

Background: Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, is designated as an emergency medical vulnerable area, facing significant challenges in transporting and treating emergency patients. A detailed analysis of the regional emergency medical system is required to identify effective solutions. Methods: This study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data from the National Emergency Medical Information System and emergency activity logs with qualitative data from focus group interviews involving 24 stakeholders, including medical staff, paramedics, civil servants, and local residents. Results: Quantitative findings indicated an aging population in Hapcheon-gun, with a growing number of elderly emergency room users. Despite the utilization of local emergency medical institutions, a lack of trust and preference for urban hospitals led even patients with mild conditions to seek care at higher-level facilities. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, transport distances and times for patients using 119 emergency services increased. Qualitative analysis identified several issues: limited capacity of local institutions, challenges in patient transport due to misaligned emergency medical zones, an increase in severely ill patients, and the absence of a coordinated emergency medical consultative body.Recommendations include strengthening local institutions through government support, realignment of emergency zones, legal reforms, the establishment of a continuous consultative body, and enhancing the capacity of medical staff, paramedics, and residents. Conclusion Improving the emergency medical system in Hapcheon-gun will require targeted efforts in institutional strengthening, legal and administrative support, and capacity-building initiatives.

Background: Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, is designated as an emergency medical vulnerable area, facing significant challenges in transporting and treating emergency patients. A detailed analysis of the regional emergency medical system is required to identify effective solutions. Methods: This study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data from the National Emergency Medical Information System and emergency activity logs with qualitative data from focus group interviews involving 24 stakeholders, including medical staff, paramedics, civil servants, and local residents. Results: Quantitative findings indicated an aging population in Hapcheon-gun, with a growing number of elderly emergency room users. Despite the utilization of local emergency medical institutions, a lack of trust and preference for urban hospitals led even patients with mild conditions to seek care at higher-level facilities. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, transport distances and times for patients using 119 emergency services increased. Qualitative analysis identified several issues: limited capacity of local institutions, challenges in patient transport due to misaligned emergency medical zones, an increase in severely ill patients, and the absence of a coordinated emergency medical consultative body.Recommendations include strengthening local institutions through government support, realignment of emergency zones, legal reforms, the establishment of a continuous consultative body, and enhancing the capacity of medical staff, paramedics, and residents. Conclusion Improving the emergency medical system in Hapcheon-gun will require targeted efforts in institutional strengthening, legal and administrative support, and capacity-building initiatives.

Background: Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, is designated as an emergency medical vulnerable area, facing significant challenges in transporting and treating emergency patients. A detailed analysis of the regional emergency medical system is required to identify effective solutions. Methods: This study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data from the National Emergency Medical Information System and emergency activity logs with qualitative data from focus group interviews involving 24 stakeholders, including medical staff, paramedics, civil servants, and local residents. Results: Quantitative findings indicated an aging population in Hapcheon-gun, with a growing number of elderly emergency room users. Despite the utilization of local emergency medical institutions, a lack of trust and preference for urban hospitals led even patients with mild conditions to seek care at higher-level facilities. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, transport distances and times for patients using 119 emergency services increased. Qualitative analysis identified several issues: limited capacity of local institutions, challenges in patient transport due to misaligned emergency medical zones, an increase in severely ill patients, and the absence of a coordinated emergency medical consultative body.Recommendations include strengthening local institutions through government support, realignment of emergency zones, legal reforms, the establishment of a continuous consultative body, and enhancing the capacity of medical staff, paramedics, and residents. Conclusion Improving the emergency medical system in Hapcheon-gun will require targeted efforts in institutional strengthening, legal and administrative support, and capacity-building initiatives.