The Korean Society for Home Medical Care (Chairman Lee Geon-se) held the '2025 Spring Symposium' on April 20 at the Samjung Hotel in Gangnam, Seoul, and unanimously emphasized the need for institutionalization of transitional care and home hospice. This symposium was held under the theme 'Transitional Care and Home Hospice: Challenges and Cooperation for Sustainable Home Medical Care.'
During the morning session, the need for an institutional system and information sharing for the smooth return of discharged patients to the community was emphasized under the topic 'The present and future of transitional care.' Transitional care is gaining attention as essential medical care that bridges the gap between admission and discharge in a rapidly aging Korean society.
Professor Son Gi-young from the Department of Family Medicine at Asan Medical Center noted, "In the case of hospitalized elderly patients, their ability for daily activities drops to below half upon discharge," and said, "It is common for them to delay discharge due to reluctance for complicated outpatient care." He emphasized the need for a consolidation function that connects advanced hospitals, the community, and home.
Lee Sun-kyung, head of the clinical cooperation team at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, said, "Although we handle more than 300 transfers before discharge each month, less than 10% return home," and pointed out, "There is a lack of connection between discharge planning and home medical care systems."
Lee Sang-beom, director of the Sinnae Clinic, stated, "Patients are vulnerable to medication management and emergency response immediately after discharge," and emphasized, "To make home medical centers the hub of transitional care, institutional routes connecting advanced hospitals and home medical care must be established."
Ryu Ji-ho, director of the Faith Elderly Welfare Center, suggested, "Reflecting the performance of connections between advanced hospitals and the community in evaluation indicators or signing agreements led by local governments could promote practical cooperation."
The afternoon session was chaired by Professor Tak Yeong-ran from the Department of Nursing at Hanyang University, discussing the need to expand end-of-life care focused on 'home hospice.'
Professor Lee Chan-nyeong from Korea University's Anam Hospital's neurology department argued, "Hospices are primarily operated around cancer patients, leaving non-cancerous patients with neurological diseases in a care blind spot," and asserted, "We need to expand palliative care service targets."
Kim Sun-hee, president of the Korean Visiting Nursing Association, said, "Many long-term care recipients are terminal patients, yet they cannot utilize hospices," and added, "Ethical and emotional support for nurses and caregivers should also be strengthened."
Kim Ho-seong, a department head at Dongbaek Seongluka Hospital, stated, "Home-type hospice is key in reducing emergency room visits rather than at-home deaths," and noted, "We should consider providing incentives to functional strengthening home care centers like in Japan."
Kim Chang-o, director of Care Clinic, mentioned, "There are many cases of patients dying in home medical care," and stated, "Financial and legal foundations are needed for a 24-hour counseling system, ethical decision-making, and support for families."
Park Geon-woo, chairman (Professor of Neurology at Korea University Anam Hospital), said, "Even if we want to connect discharged patients to home medical care, it often happens that they are transferred to nursing hospitals because the hospital cooperation center is unaware of the system," and stated, "The society will seek ways to organically connect the fragmented medical system."