Korean hospitals excel in pediatrics in APAC: Newsweek

Neurology, orthopedics, orthopedic surgery, respiratory medicine, cancer, endocrinology, and pediatrics were the most prominent clinical areas Korean hospitals excelled in the Asia-Pacific region.

In pediatrics in particular, 28 Korean hospitals are among the top 100 in this part of the world, according to the Newsweek magazine.

This resulted from the analysis of the “Best Specialized Hospitals Asia Pacific 2024” report by Newsweek magazine in collaboration with global market research firm Statista. The survey, conducted from February to April, included more than 8,000 physicians from nine countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Korea, Japan, Australia, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand.

The survey ranked the best hospitals in the Asia-Pacific region in nine specialties: cardiac surgery, cardiology, endocrinology, neurology, neurosurgery, oncology, orthopedics, and pediatrics, including pulmonology, which was added recently.

Pediatrics was the clinical area where Korean hospitals were cited most often. Of the 100 hospitals ranked as the best in the Asia-Pacific region for pediatrics, 28 were Korean hospitals. Japan had 20, followed by Australia and India with 14 each, Thailand with eight, Malaysia with seven, Singapore with six, and Taiwan with three.

Seoul National University Children's Hospital ranked first in the region and Asan Medical Center ranked fifth. Despite not making the top 10, the Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital and Ewha Womans University Hospital also made the top 20, ranking 18th and 19th, respectively. Severance Children's Hospital ranked 21st among the Big Five hospitals, and Samsung Medical Center ranked 46th.

The Big Five hospitals ranked in the top 10 in nine fields. In endocrinology, Korean hospitals dominated the top five in the Asia-Pacific region. Asan Medical Center took the top spot, followed by Seoul National University Hospital at No. 2, Severance Hospital at No. 3, Samsung Medical Center at No. 4, and Seoul St. Mary's Hospital at No. 5. Kyung Hee University Medical Center ranked ninth, also making the top 10.

Five Korean university hospitals ranked in the top 10 in the cancer category. Samsung Cancer Hospital and Asan Medical Center ranked first and second, respectively. Seoul National University Hospital ranked fifth, Severance Hospital seventh, and Seoul St. Mary's Hospital eighth.

Half of the top 10 in the respiratory category were Korean university hospitals. Samsung Medical Center topped the list, followed by Asan Medical Center in second place, Seoul National University Hospital in fourth place, and Severance Hospital in fifth place. Inha University Hospital rounded out the top 10, with ninth place.

The top ranking in the Asia-Pacific region for orthopedic surgery was Severance Hospital. Asan Medical Center was second, Kyung Hee University Medical Center was fourth, and Seoul National University Hospital was fifth. Samsung Medical Center is the fifth highest-ranked hospital in Korea and ninth in the Asia-Pacific region. Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, a Big Five hospital, ranked 29th.

Korean university hospitals also stood out in neurology. Asan Medical Center ranked second, followed by Seoul National University Hospital in fifth, Samsung Medical Center in sixth, Severance Hospital in eighth, and Seoul National University Bundang Hospital in ninth, making up half of the top 10.

In neurosurgery, institutions under the Yonsei University Health System’s umbrella stood out. Severance Hospital ranked second in the Asia-Pacific region and Gangnam Severance Hospital ranked fourth. Among the Big Five hospitals, Seoul National University Hospital ranked 11th, Samsung Medical Center ranked 13th, and Seoul St. Mary's Hospital ranked 53rd.

In cardiology, Asan Medical Center took the top spot, followed by Seoul National University Hospital in fourth place and Samsung Medical Center in fifth. Severance Hospital rounded out the top 20 at 17th place. Asan Medical Center ranked third in cardiac surgery, followed by Seoul National University Hospital at 12th and Samsung Medical Center at 14th in the top 20.