Abstract
To deal with the burden of chronic illnesses, the Korean government has planned to adopt the Health Management Service Act (HMS) to reduce risk factors related to lifestyle, including diet and physical activity with reinforcement of dietitians and physical education instructors and other health professionals. We welcome the strategy to expand human resources for preventing cardio-cerebrovascular events (CVE); however, the delivery system of the HMS has stimulated heated debate. The current legislative bill lacks a comprehensive perspective of clinical preventive medicine. It states that HMS is not a medical service, and therefore the HMS facilities are not medical institutions and can be operated independently from medical professionals. By excluding medical specialists who could integrate information from patients in order to prevent CVEs, the bill is incompatible with the main purpose of HMS and will fail to achieve its goal. To suggest a solution to the debate, a patient-centered, evidence-based approach should be established in order to make an arena where all disciplines related to chronic disease prevention can contribute to the HMS. The participation of medical doctors who are fundamental to healthcare is essential for the successful establishment of an HMS delivery system in Korea.