Future Changes and Directions for the Construction of a Medical Decision-Making System in Korea: Focused on delphi surveys*

Abstract

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to identify future changes that may affect medical decision-making and to suggest future directions for the medical decision-making system in Korea. Methods: This study conducted Delphi surveys and in-depth group interviews with physicians and nurses working in two different university hospitals in Daegu and Busan. Results: The collected data suggest that the current medical decision-making system needs to be more clearly defined in accordance with clinical applications. The findings from professional group interviews suggest that the Korean government may need to regulate economic conditions in order to facilitate medical decision-making in the near future as hospital environments change and grow. Conclusion: The results of this study may help healthcare professionals working at various crisis settings to understand and apply decision-making systems in the context of end-of-life medical care. The future directions were proposed that national standard setting and financial support, hospital ethics committee constitution, nationwide information for social consensus, strengthening the education of health professionals.