From the 10th, Home Treatment Patients Can Have Phone Consultations at Local Clinics... "QR Code Improvement Also Under Review"

KMA "Over 3,000 Local Clinics to Join"
Reviewing Improvements for QR Codes, Vaccine Passes, etc.

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] Starting from the 10th, COVID-19 home treatment patients will be divided into 'intensive management group' and 'general management group' and managed separately. The intensive management group, which includes those aged 60 and above and patients in their 50s with underlying conditions, will continue to have their health status checked twice daily as before, while the general management group will receive non-face-to-face consultations at local clinics as needed without monitoring.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced this home treatment plan during a regular briefing on the 9th. To focus health management on the intensive management group, the quarantine authorities plan to expand the number of medical institutions managing patients up to 650 by utilizing base dedicated hospitals and secure a total manageable capacity of about 200,000 people. As of midnight on the same day, there are 601 home care medical institutions.

General management group receives non-face-to-face treatment at local clinics without monitoring

Except for this, the general management group will receive telephone prescriptions and consultations at local clinics as needed without regular monitoring starting from the 10th. In addition to local clinics, medical consultations can also be obtained at the 'Home Treatment Medical Consultation Center,' which operates 24 hours a day.

The government plans to discuss with the Korean Medical Association to encourage as many local clinics as possible to participate in non-face-to-face treatment so that the general management group can preferably receive treatment at their usual local clinics. However, in case a medical institution capable of telephone consultation and prescription cannot be found immediately, a list of local clinics capable of telephone consultation and prescription will be collected through local governments and posted on the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service website.

Regarding criticism that few local clinics are participating, it was explained that initial confusion on the ground is inevitable but the current medical system can respond. Lee Sang-woon, Vice President of the Korean Medical Association, predicted, "At least 3,000 more local clinics are expected to participate," and added, "Even if the number of confirmed patients manageable at home care exceeds 180,000, it will probably be possible to respond."

The government has also decided on health insurance reimbursement fees for home treatment consultation, prescription, and treatment to activate medical institution participation, which will be implemented starting tomorrow.

The government explained that this transition to home treatment will make pediatric and adolescent care easier. Choi Jong-gyun, Head of the Home Treatment Team at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, emphasized, "Once the telephone consultation and prescription system is properly introduced, it will be possible to call the pediatrician or adolescent clinic usually visited multiple times for consultations," adding, "Through this process, the child's condition can be better monitored."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Medications from non-face-to-face treatment delivered through designated pharmacies

Medications prescribed through telephone consultation and prescription will be received through designated pharmacies. While it is principle that cohabiting family members receive the medications, if proxy receipt is difficult, methods agreed upon with local governments will be followed, or medications will be delivered directly and the home treatment patient's receipt will be confirmed.

Choi, Head of the Home Medical Care Team, explained, "Currently, when treatment drugs are prescribed for home treatment patients, designated pharmacies are assigned by city, county, and district, totaling about 500 nationwide," adding, "However, if the number of home treatment patients increases, we will consider expanding the designation of pharmacies or even abolishing the designated pharmacy system depending on the trend of home treatment patients."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Transition to self-entry epidemiological investigation... possibility of QR code changes

There is also a possibility that QR codes and electronic entry logs will be changed in the future. This is because epidemiological investigations have shifted to a self-entry method. Regarding this, Son Young-rae, Head of the Social Strategy Team at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, responded, "The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency is reviewing improvement plans along with changes to epidemiological investigations."

He added, "First, we will see to what extent IT-based epidemiological investigations can be conducted while switching to self-entry, and during this process, we will also review the necessity of maintaining QR codes and electronic entry logs."

The quarantine authorities advised that from the 10th, COVID-19 home treatment kits will be provided only to the intensive management group, so confirmed patients in the general management group should prepare antipyretics and thermometers in advance. Son said, "Many confirmed patients in the general management group are showing cold (upper respiratory infection) symptoms," adding, "It is difficult to specify what to prepare in particular, but generally having antipyretics on hand and a thermometer to monitor temperature rise will suffice." He further added, "If respiratory abnormal symptoms appear, it is more useful to contact a medical institution and receive telephone consultation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.