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Virtual healthcare or ‘telemedicine’ sees boom in South Korea during the pandemic



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코로나 이후로 활성화된 대한민국의 원격진료...그 장단점과 전망은?

South Korea has temporarily allowed medical professionals to diagnose and treat patients from a distance using telecommunications technology.
Virtual healthcare has since boomed here in the nation.
Lee Shi-hoo sheds light on this phenomenon.
When 28-year-old Kim Hee-kyung needs a medical consultation,...she doesn't need to take time out of her day to visit a doctor.
All she needs to do is to reach for her tablet... and launch a mobile application.

She puts in her personal info, selects her symptoms... and voila.
Within minutes, she's face to face with a doctor in the comfort of her home.

Hello.
.
Hello doctor.
, .
What's bothering you?
?

After the virtual consultation, the doctor makes a diagnosis and writes a prescription that is delivered to her home.

With the spread of COVID-19, the South Korean government has temporarily allowed healthcare professionals to evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients from a distance using telecommunications technology.

Since being legally permitted, the number of patients who have availed of the service has grown significantly.

"Among the perks of telemedicine is that patients can see doctors and receive prescriptions quicker than they would during a traditional visit to a clinic. Through telemedicine, patients suffering from COVID-19 are receiving prescriptions quickly."

But, its perks are not limited during the pandemic.

"Here at Inha University hospital, telemedicine is offered to Koreans overseas and foreigners in South Korea who may not be able to access the care they need,... where they are."

The doctor checks the condition of the patient located overseas as she would in an off-line consultation... during a conference call.

"We began offering telemedicine to Koreans overseas as medical care can be less accessible and patients can experience cultural or language barriers during their care."

That's not to say there aren't limitations to this practice.
There are initial costs associated with the technology - both for doctors and patients - and some are concerned that virtual medical examination may not be as effective.

"I expect the advancement of medical technology and the development of digital healthcare will help alleviate current limitations."

Legal experts say changes must be made to the current law to allow telemedicine to be practiced permanently.

"No countries outside of South Korea ban telemedicine entirely. South Korea needs to take a more open stance towards telemedicine and make the necessary reform to its medical law."
Lee Shi-hoo, Arirang News.

#Virtual_healthcare #telemedicine #pandemic

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Health
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