Deeping regional disparities in primary healthcare during COVID-19 in South Korea

Abstract

This study investigates the changes in regional disparities in primary healthcare in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our descriptive analysis found that the supply of primary healthcare per capita by the private sector decreased in all regions in 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic. In the following years, the supply of private clinics in the Seoul Metropolitan Area and other metropolis cities increased compared to before COVID-19. However, the rate of increase in private clinics per person in small and medium-sized cities/rural areas (SMRs) was relatively low. The supply of private clinics for essential medical subjects decreased in SMRs compared to pre-COVID-19. The regional disparity in primary healthcare between metropolis cities and SMRs has worsened during the pandemic. The deepening regional disparities in access to primary healthcare, which are evaluated as the long-term footprint of COVID-19, could result in inequalities in health outcomes.