Dong-Jin Kim

Dong-Jin Kim, Woo-Jin Jeong. JKSRNT 2026;17:89-95. https://doi.org/10.25055/JKSRNT.2026.17.3.89

Objectives: With a rapid aging population and the expansion of digital health strategies after the COVID-19 pandemic, AI․IoT-based health services for older adults in the community were introduced. This study aimed to analyze the impact of digital health strategies on the health of older adults. Methods: The study was conducted with 9,566 older adult participants who enrolled in a health management program at 24 public health centers from November 10, 2020, to December 10, 2021, and completed the post-evaluation after using the services for over six months. Paired t-tests were performed to compare changes in frailty levels and health practices before and after the program. Results: Participants improved frailty levels, walking practices, and healthy eating practices. Positive changes were observed in all aspects of frailty, including overall, social, and cognitive frailty, as well as in the detailed evaluation items. Conclusion: The digital health strategies improved accessibility to healthcare services for older adults, allowing participation without time and space limitations. This contributed to an increase in the scale and sustainability of the program.

South Korea is promoting digital healthcare services in the public sector. One notable initiative is the “artificial intelligence and the internet of things (AI–IoT)-based healthcare project for senior citizens”, which was implemented by the Korea Health Promotion Institute (KHPI). This project utilized an IoT-based digital healthcare service that integrates information technology and screen-based AI speaker functions. Services through this project are intended for senior citizens aged 65 years (or older) who face challenges in visiting public healthcare institutions owing to limitations on outdoor activities, especially in the post-coronavirus 2019 era. This article shares the recent outcomes of this project and outlines the mid-to-long-term development strategies for this style of South Korean digital healthcare initiatives.

BACKGROUND Following the confirmation of the effect of the pilot of the Korea Mobile Healthcare National Program in 2016, the program has been conducted annually since 2018 to improve the risk factors for metabolic syndrome. However, since this implementation began, the program has not been evaluated. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to retrospectively investigate the results of the Korea Mobile Healthcare National Program in 2018 and 2019. METHODS Health behavior of participants with risk factors for metabolic syndrome were managed using a mobile app for 24 weeks and feedback was provided. Paired t-test and chi squared test were used for comparing results before and after 24 weeks. RESULTS Of the 8,712 participants enrolled in 2018, 7,619 completed the 24 weeks program while 10,990 of the 12,447 participants enrolled in 2019 completed the program. After the program, over 60% participants had improvement in one or more risk factors (63.09% in 2018, 65.85% in 2019). There was a statistically significant improvement in the proportion of participants who had each risk factor (blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and waist circumference) in both 2018 and 2019 (p < .001). The average value of each risk factor also improved in a positive direction. CONCLUSIONS This study showed that the Korea Mobile Healthcare National Program may contribute to improvement in the risk factors for metabolic syndrome.