85% of Koreans"Climate Change Affects Health"Philips,"Healthcare Sustainability'Relevant Perception Survey Results
Jul 11, 2024
|
In this survey, the Korean people recognized the importance of sustainable healthcare, but they did not consider it an urgent issue and evaluated that the actual introduction was slow.
Eighty-five percent of South Korean respondents said 'Climate change affects personal health' and 79 percent answered that it is important that healthcare services are provided in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner'. However, when asked about the priorities of sustainable healthcare, only 8% answered 'urgent priorities', falling short of the four-nation average of 15%. In addition, when asked about the evaluation of the current domestic introduction of sustainable medical solutions, only 26% of all respondents thought it was widely or somewhat introduced. It was the lowest of the four countries and far below the four-nation average of 45%.
In this survey, most Koreans answered that the role of technology is important for sustainable healthcare'(94%), but the understanding or use of related technologies was found to be poor. According to actual findings, many respondents chose traditional methods such as 'Enforcement of Recycling Programs' (26%) and 'Appropriate Disposal and Management of Hazardous Waste' (26%) when asked if they knew about the sustainable healthcare methods introduced by healthcare providers, and 'Doctors and Nurses had relatively low awareness of technology-driven solutions such as'Using raw materials, scarce resources, and waste reduction' (17%) using environmentally friendly design solutions and technologies.
In addition, the utilization of technology and devices for personal health care among Koreans was the lowest among the four countries at 62%, and two out of three (69%) still preferred face-to-face treatment over telemedicine even under the premise of providing the same convenience and quality of care.
In this survey, Koreans cited factors that make it difficult to introduce or support sustainable healthcare such as 'high initial cost' (37%) and 'concerns about hygiene when recycling medical supplies' (33%) and thought that in order for sustainable healthcare to be more prioritized, it is necessary to improve accessibility, such as expanding patients' options'(44%) and 'sufficient infrastructure investment'(30%).
In addition, many respondents pointed out that a correct understanding of sustainable healthcare is needed. As factors that make it difficult to introduce or support sustainable healthcare, 33% of the respondents cited 'confused about what is sustainable healthcare and which method works best';'Expanding awareness of simple practices that individuals can do' (28%) and 'Enhanced understanding of the impact of sustainable healthcare' (28%) are needed for sustainable healthcare to be more prioritized.
Park Jae-in, CEO of Philips Korea, said, "Through this survey, we feel that there is a need for a better understanding of sustainable healthcare systems and more social efforts to introduce them.'"Philips is committed to helping healthcare providers care for patients and protect the planet through innovation, design, and sustainability. As a leader in health technology, Philips will continue to actively discover and utilize these insights to realize sustainable healthcare in the Asia-Pacific region, including Korea, and further around the world."
compact@sportschosun.com
