By the rural area health care special law in
1980, Primary health care posts were established
in rural areas as fundamental elements of the
national health system. Nurses have been
deployed to the posts after taking an education
course mandated by the special law. However,
health care posts have confronted environmental
changes over the past 30 years such as an aging
and decreasing rural population and advanced
traffic systems, which make it necessary to
reshape their form and role. Therefore, some
guidelines are suggested for future role
enlargement of health care posts by analyzing
their current management and duties. The
guidelines are as follows: 1) enlarging the
portion of prevention and management of
chronic degenerative diseases, 2) development
and practice of diverse health promotion
programs, 3) extension of primary health care
for the increasing older population, 4)
development of health programs for married
immigrants, 5) practice of timely maternal child
health programs, 6) development of adequate
health care posts for low-income people in
rapidly urbanizing rural areas and in poor areas
in big cities, and 7) revision of laws and
institutional arrangements for the role
enlargement of health care posts to match social
changes and customer needs.