A Study to Establish Local Healthcare Projects in the with-COVID-19 Age: Based on Health Recognition of Local Residents in the Korea

Abstract

Background: This study aims to analyze awareness of local residents on the health care projects, and suggest some ideas on establishing local health care projects.

Methods: To delve into the opinions of local residents, this study created a questionnaire composed of 8 questions on general characteristics on respondents, 8 on satisfaction with health centers, 16 on awareness of health care projects, and 22 on local health care. The survey was conducted to 409 residents to visited public centers in Gimcheon city from March 15 to April 14, 2021.

Findings: Data analysis found out the followings. The proportion of local residents who use health centers was 39.1%, and those users visit the centers on average 3.92 times a year. Among health care projects, the project known to the highest proportion of people was vaccination (84.5%), and what is used the most was also vaccination (38.1%). Among health care projects needed in the with-corona age, respondents ranked the highest score to vaccination (4.15 points in the 5-point scale), and what was scored as the second highest was infectious disease management (4.12).

Improvements: Central and local governments should focus on activating vaccinations, solving the problem of medical accessibility through untact remote treatment and establishing national infectious disease-specializing hospitals and local infectious disease management based on such national hospitals.