Strategies to Enhance the Utilization of National Health Surveys

초록

The Korea National Health Surveys provide important evidence for health policy development and evaluation. Amid healthcare environments and emerging health challenges, there is a growing need to utilize survey findings more efficiently and strategically. This study examines patterns of policy utilization and derives recommendations to strengthen national health surveys as effective surveillance systems. Policy-use cases for national health surveys in the Republic of Korea (ROK) and other countries were identified from the literature and official policy documents and websites. Cases were classified by policy type (strategies/plans, guidelines, legislation, and programs) and purpose (agenda/background, target and population specification, implementation monitoring, and effect evaluation). Additionally, demand surveys were conducted at the national and regional levels, and the findings were synthesized to develop evidence-based recommendations. We analyzed 84 domestic and 259 international policy-use cases. Legislation was the most frequent policy type in both the ROK and other countries. In the ROK, policy use was primarily concentrated in implementation monitoring. Demand surveys indicated a high level of policy contributions and highlighted the need for more timely indicators, disaggregated outputs, and stronger visualization and platform functions. Expanding policy utilization requires strengthening survey systems, building infrastructure for data linkage, automation, and informatization, and reinforcing legal/institutional support as well as interagency collaboration. In addition, systematic management and public reporting of survey-based policy achievements, along with continued reflection of field needs, are essential to establish an effective feedback mechanism. Copyright © Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

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