An Analysis on Demand and Supply for Medical Rehabilitation Professionals in Korea

우리나라 의료재활 전문인력 수요${\cdot}$공급 및 추계에 관한 연구

Korea will soon experience a high demand for medical rehabilitation specialists, if it tries to deliver advanced health welfare service. In order to medical rehabilitation manpower policies, this study attempts to analyse, estimate and plan a long-term supply for physiatrists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. The study analysed both national and foreign statistical data of manpower supply for medical rehabilitation specialists. Based on the above data, the demand of and supply for each specialists were estimated for long term up to the year 2030. Based on the comparative analysis results of the future demand and supply. the author intended to develop a new supply plan for the three specialist categories. The major finding of the supply plan are as follows : First, as for the supply plan for physiatrists, the author recommends to adopt the demand estimation 1 as the most suitable. In order to prevent an oversupply of physiatrists, the supply plan 1 is recommended which annual enrollment of specialists will maintain with the quota of fixed number of 63 from the year of 1999. Second, it is estimated that there was already an oversupply of physical therapists in Korea. This oversupply is expected to continue even though there would be an increase in rehabilitation hospital beds, rehabilitation facilities for the elderly, and nursing homes, Thus, it would be desirable to cut down the number of students admitted to physical therapy schools each year. Third, there will be a high demand for occupational therapists in the near future as people become more aware of the usefulness of this therapy. Thus, it is urgent to establish a supply plan to meet the demand. Given the close relationship between physical therapy and occupational therapy, the study recommends that the universities already having the the department of physical therapy open the department of occupational therapy as well.