Areas with "Dalbit Children's Hospitals" — clinics that provide pediatric outpatient care on weekday evenings and holidays — recorded emergency room visits for minor cases at roughly half the rate of areas without them, according to new research. The findings suggest the program has significantly eased ER overcrowding and reduced the financial burden on patients.
The research, commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and conducted by a team at Soonchunhyang University's Department of Health Administration and Management, found that in 2024, areas with Dalbit Children's Hospitals recorded 52.67 emergency medical visits per 1,000 people for mild pediatric cases. That compares with 95.06 visits per 1,000 people in areas without the clinics — meaning the rate in covered areas was about 55 percent of that in uncovered ones.
Dalbit Children's Hospitals are medical facilities designated to treat children with minor conditions during weekday evenings and on holidays. The program was introduced to ease the burden on the emergency medical system by diverting patients away from hospital emergency rooms.
Analyzing pediatric emergency care usage from 2017 to 2024, the research team said that in every year except 2017, areas without Dalbit Children's Hospitals showed higher rates of ER visits for mild pediatric cases than areas with them.
The research focused on patients classified as semi-urgent or non-urgent under the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS) — ratings 4 and 5. Under KTAS, ratings 1 through 3 are considered emergencies, rating 4 is semi-urgent and rating 5 is non-urgent; ratings 4 and 5 are generally regarded as mild cases.
The research team said the presence of a Dalbit Children's Hospital had a statistically significant effect on whether mild pediatric patients visited an emergency room, with children in areas lacking the clinics more likely to turn to ERs for minor conditions.
The program also delivered measurable economic benefits. The research team estimated that Dalbit Children's Hospitals redirected approximately 768,000 mild pediatric patients from emergency rooms to outpatient care, saving roughly 98.2 billion won in medical costs.
"Dalbit Children's Hospitals are contributing to easing ER overcrowding and improving caregivers' access to medical care," the research team said, adding that expansion of the system and continued support are needed to ensure the stable operation of pediatric care services during evenings and holidays.
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