earticle

영어

Objectives: To examine the impact of demographic changes on specialty-specific healthcare utilization at the county (si/gun/gu) level. Methods: A fixed-effects panel model was used to analyze a 2017-2023 panel dataset with demographic indicators and utilization by specialty (visits and patients). Regions were grouped by aging, fertility, and migration changes to compare utilization patterns. Results: Panel analysis revealed that demographic changes significantly influenced medical service use in key specialties. Obstetrics and pediatrics displayed clear differences in utilization between top and bottom demographic change groups, while psychiatry exhibited consistently high growth across all groups. Conclusions: Demographic shifts affect healthcare utilization differently across specialties, which underscores the need for region-specific health policies and resource allocation. This study provides evidence to inform strategies for reducing healthcare utilization disparities.