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Original Articles
- Impact of COVID-19 on the Profitability of General Hospitals in Korea
- Jun Young Park, Tae Hyun Kim, Suk-Yong Jang, Sang Gyu Lee
- J Prev Med Public Health. 2026;59(1):46-55. Published online September 11, 2025
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.25.303
- 2,738 View
- 179 Download
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Abstract
Summary
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Supplementary Material - Objectives
This study was performed to quantify the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on hospital profitability in Korea by analyzing changes in the medical revenue-to-profit ratio (MRPR) and net income before reserve fund allocation (NIBR) before and after the pandemic onset. Additionally, it examined how financial outcomes varied by hospital ownership, geographic location, and type (secondary or tertiary), providing insights into the financial resilience of various hospital types during public health crises.
Methods
We conducted a longitudinal analysis using publicly available financial disclosure data from 243 general hospitals in Korea (2016–2022). We then performed a quadrant analysis to classify hospitals based on changes in MRPR and NIBR, identifying patterns of financial impact. For inferential analysis, we employed linear mixed-effects models incorporating a difference-in-differences framework, enabling estimation of both time-varying and hospital-specific effects.
Results
Following the onset of COVID-19, MRPR declined significantly, reaching −10.62% in 2020. NIBR initially dropped but later increased, reaching 21.09 billion Korean won per 100 beds in 2022. Quadrant analysis revealed substantial heterogeneity in financial responses, with national/public hospitals experiencing the most severe MRPR decline, whereas educational foundation and medical corporation hospitals displayed stronger financial recovery. Regression results confirmed significant interactions between outcomes after COVID-19 onset and hospital ownership type, indicating differential financial impacts across hospital categories.
Conclusions
The findings highlight the uneven financial effects of COVID-19 on Korean hospitals, emphasizing the importance of targeted government financial support. Policy measures should prioritize structural financial reforms to ensure hospital sustainability beyond short-term crisis management. -
SummaryKorean summary
본 연구는 2016–2022년 국내 종합병원 243개소의 재무자료를 활용하여 COVID-19 팬데믹이 병원 수익성에 미친 영향을 분석하였다. 팬데믹 이후 의료수익 대비 이익률은 전반적으로 감소한 반면, 정부 지원 등의 영향으로 적립금 차감 전 순이익은 증가하는 이중적 양상이 관찰되었다. 이러한 영향은 병원 소유 형태와 규모에 따라 상이하게 나타났으며, 공공병원의 재무적 취약성이 두드러졌다.Key Message
Using longitudinal financial data from 243 Korean general hospitals (2016–2022), this study examined the impact of COVID-19 on hospital profitability. Medical revenue-to-profit ratios declined markedly after the pandemic onset, while net income before reserve fund allocation increased, reflecting substantial heterogeneity by ownership and hospital type. These findings highlight the need for targeted and structurally differentiated financial support policies to strengthen hospital resilience during future public health crises.
- Sex Differences Associated With Hepatitis B Virus Surface Antigen Seropositivity Unwareness in Hepatitis B Virus Surface Antigen-positive Adults: 2007‐2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
- Suk-Yong Jang, Sung-In Jang, Hong-Chul Bae, Jaeyong Shin, Eun-Cheol Park
- J Prev Med Public Health. 2015;48(2):74-83. Published online March 16, 2015
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.14.034
- 11,736 View
- 95 Download
- 3 Crossref
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Abstract
PDF
- Objectives
To examine the sex-specific factors associated with being unaware of one’s hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) seropositivity status in a large, HBsAg-positive population of Koreans.
Methods
In total, 1197 subjects aged 19 years or older who were HBsAg-positive according to data from the 2007-2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were included. Subjects were considered unaware of their HBsAg seropositivity status if they answered that they had no knowledge of being previously infected by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) or diagnosed with HBV hepatitis. Multivariate Poisson regression models with robust variance estimate were used to assess the significance of the variables using weighted frequencies.
Results
The majority (77.8%) of HbsAg-positive Korean adults (females, 81.9%; males, 74.6%) were unaware of their HBsAg seropositivity status. We found that sex (female: prevalence ratio [PR] 1.19), household income (low: PR, 1.15), marital status (never married: PR, 1.18), self-rated health (moderate: PR, 1.14; good: PR, 1.12), and alcohol use (at least 2-3 times/wk: PR, 1.21) were associated with being unaware. In females, age (50 to 59 years: PR, 1.29; ≥70 years: PR, 1.30), household income (low: PR, 1.37; middle–low: PR, 1.24), and marital status (never married: PR, 1.33) were associated with being unaware. In males, self-rated health (moderate: PR, 1.14; good: PR, 1.21) and alcohol use (at least 2–3 times/wk: PR, 1.21) were associated with being unaware.
Conclusions
Factors related to the socioeconomic status of females and the health-related behaviors of males were found to be associated with being unaware of one’s HBsAg seropositivity status. -
Summary
Citations
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- Association of perceived life satisfaction with attitudes toward life-sustaining treatment among the elderly in South Korea: a cross-sectional study
Il Yun, Hyunkyu Kim, Eun-Cheol Park, Suk-Yong Jang
BMC Palliative Care.2022;[Epub] CrossRef - Spatial epidemiologic analysis of the liver cancer and gallbladder cancer incidence and its determinants in South Korea
Jieun Jang, Dae-Sung Yoo, Byung Chul Chun
BMC Public Health.2021;[Epub] CrossRef - Socioeconomic differences in self- and family awareness of viral hepatitis status among carriers of hepatitis B or C in rural Korea
Hye-Ran Ahn, Sung-Bum Cho, Ik Joo Chung, Sun-Seog Kweon
American Journal of Infection Control.2018; 46(3): 328. CrossRef
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