Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40795343›Full record

ArticleJournal of Korean medical science2025

Supply-Side Impact of Supporting Obstetrically Underserved Areas: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study.

Hansoo Ko, Minsu Ock, Sol Lee, Joo Won Park, Mi Young Kwak, Won Mo Jang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of Korean medical science, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Hansoo Ko *Department of Health Administration and Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3321-0763
Minsu Ock *Prevention and Management Center, Ulsan University Hospital, Ulsan, Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9949-9224
Sol LeeCenter for Public Healthcare, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1924-436X
Joo Won ParkCenter for Public Healthcare, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7523-6953
Mi Young KwakCenter for Public Healthcare, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. kmy805@gmail.com.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0133-3267
Won Mo JangDepartment of Public Health and Community Medicine, Seoul Metropolitan Government-Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3277-7706

Funding

Ministry of Health and Welfare NHIS-2021-1-543
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is limited evidence on the effectiveness of financial incentives in improving the shortage of obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN) specialists in underserved areas. This study aimed to examine whether the financial incentives for OB/GYN clinics were associated with improved availability of OB/GYN specialists in obstetrically underserved areas (OUA) and potentially obstetrically underserved areas (POUA) in South Korea.

methodsA cross-sectional study design was employed to observe all cities (n = 240) in South Korea for a period of 10 years (2011-2020). The cities were divided into intervention groups (cities designated as OUA and POUA) and control groups (all other rural districts). A two-way fixed-effects linear regression was used to explore the policy's association with the number of specialists at the city level. The availability of OB/GYN specialists was evaluated based on the number of total/full-time/part-time OB/GYN specialists and facilities with full-time OB/GYN specialists per 1,000 females of reproductive age. The exposures considered were grant incentives for facility and equipment costs, human resources, and additional reimbursement rates for deliveries.

resultsA total of 240 South Korean cities were identified as analytic samples from 2011 to 2020 (2,400 city-year observations). The number of total OB/GYN specialists decreased (-3.390 per 1,000 females of reproductive age;

conclusionThis cross-sectional study revealed that financial incentives, including grants and reimbursement rates, were insufficient to improve the availability of OB/GYN specialists in underserved areas of South Korea. Therefore, multidimensional financial and nonfinancial approaches are required to ensure a stable supply of specialists at vulnerable sites.

Indexed as

Medically Underserved AreaObstetricsAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleGynecologyHumansPregnancyRepublic of KoreaFinancial SupportGynecologistsHealth WorkforceKoreaMedically Underserved AreaObstetricians

Identifiers

PMID40795343
PMCPMC12339897

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.