National health examination expansion policy

ABSTRACT

The Korean national health examination provides a tremendous amount of medical services in comparison with other countries. The first national health examination plan from 2011 to 2015 led to a remarkable growth in the number of examinees, the institutions that participate in the program, and financing for health examinations, and the national health examination will be expanded and reinforced through the upcoming second national health examination plan. Primary medical institutions should carry out health examinations related to chronic diseases, evaluate the lifestyles of examinees, counsel them about the results, and simultaneously offer follow-up management, so that the health examination and medical treatment function as parts of a cohesive continuum. For personalized health promotion integrated with information and communication technology, the health risk assessment program should be standardized in the Korean population. This will be a cost-effective strategy for managing overall health risks in comparison to the previous separate management of individual risk factors. Furthermore, whenever scientific evidence for items assessed in the national health examinations is lacking, the items should immediately be revised in accordance with appropriate validation studies, and quaternary prevention should be implemented in health examinations in order to avoid overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Finally, aid for vulnerable social classes should be expanded in order to improve the overall national health status and to address health inequalities.