| 論文種別 | 原著(症例報告除く) |
| 言語種別 | 英語 |
| 査読の有無 | その他(不明) |
| 表題 | Comparing emergency medical system governance in Japan and South Korea: lessons for high-income countries from a multisource comparative health systems analysis. |
| 掲載誌名 | 正式名：Journal of Yeungnam medical science 略 称：J Yeungnam Med Sci ISSNコード：27998010/27998010 |
| 掲載区分 | 国外 |
| 巻・号・頁 | 43,pp.3 |
| 著者・共著者 | Kentaro Kajino, Jung Ho Kim, Jeong Ho Park, Kyoung-Jun Song, Mohamud R Daya, Yasuyuki Kuwagata |
| 発行年月 | 2026 |
| 概要 | BACKGROUND:Japan and South Korea, two advanced East Asian nations with universal health coverage and similar demographic challenges, have developed markedly different emergency medical services (EMS) systems. Despite growing interest in international benchmarking, structured, comparative studies that yield policy-relevant insights remain limited.METHODS:We conducted a multisource comparative health-systems analysis using statutory laws, government publications, academic society reports, peer-reviewed literature, and national statistics. Key domains included EMS governance, workforce, prehospital organization, hospital-based emergency care, legal obligations for EMS patient transport and hospital acceptance, and governance and quality assurance mechanisms. Data were synthesized in comparative tables and narrative summaries to highlight structural and operational differences.RESULTS:Japan's EMS operates under decentralized municipal control through 722 fire departments, serving 4,100 designated emergency institutions with 6,139 board-certified emergency physicians. In 2023, over 6.64 million ambulance dispatches occurred, and 8.6% were classified as critical cases (1.3% death and 7.3% severe). Korea's EMS is centrally governed with 412 designated facilities in a tiered system and 2,464 specialists. Annual ambulance activations exceeded 3.5 million, with severe cases accounting for approximately 5% to 10%. Japan employs dual statutory frameworks (Fire Service Act and Medical Practitioners Act), allowing clinical discretion, whereas Korea enforces unified regulations with stricter obligations and criminal penalties for hospital refusal of emergency patients.CONCLUSION:The contrasting systems suggest that hybrid governance that combines centralized standard settings with local operational flexibility may optimize EMS performance. These findings provide lessons for EMS reform, cross-border collaboration, and disaster preparedness in high-income nations facing similar demographic and healthcare challenges. |
| DOI | 10.12701/jyms.2026.43.3 |
| PMID | 41416366 |