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This study was undertaken to identify factors influencing non-metropolitan residents' utilization of medical facilities in metropolitan areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were obtained from the Korea National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey, which is managed by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. This study used 2020–2021 Korea National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey data to analyze 189,295 non-metropolitan patients who visited metropolitan medical institutions for treatment. The independent variables used were gender, age, residential area, primary diagnostic category, surgical history, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores. The chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate the characteristics related to the use of medical services by hospitalized patients in metropolitan areas. The rate of utilization of metropolitan medical institutions by patients from non-metropolitan areas was 14.3%. Binary logistic regression analysis was applied to estimate the probability of utilizing metropolitan hospitals among patients from non-metropolitan areas. Patients from Chungbuk (odds ratio (OR): 9.535), Gangwon (OR: 3.272), those with CCI scores ≥3 (OR: 2.240), and those who underwent surgery (OR: 1.360) were more likely to use metropolitan hospitals. The research results of this study indicate that it is important to first establish a strategy for the establishment of regional medical services and the efficient distribution of medical resources, targeting non-metropolitan areas whose residents have a high probability of using metropolitan medical institutions outside of their residential area and patients with severe diseases. We gratefully acknowledge all contributors and data providers involved in this study.
Park et al. (Wed,) studied this question.