[The Editors' Verdict] Non-Face-to-Face Medical Consultations: An Inevitable Reality?

Kyung-ho Lee, Head of Biohealth Department

The pilot project for non-face-to-face medical consultations, promoted by the ruling party and government in line with the endemic phase, has ended with a decisive victory for the existing medical community. Non-face-to-face medical consultations refer to doctors consulting and prescribing medication without meeting patients in person, using phone or video calls. This was temporarily allowed starting in 2020 when COVID-19 spread. Over the past three years until the end of April, 37.86 million non-face-to-face consultations were conducted for 14.19 million people. Simply put, one in four citizens has experienced this.

Evaluations so far show that non-face-to-face medical platforms like Doctor Now and Goodoc have grown rapidly, confirming the presence of a market with great potential. When discussions initially suggested allowing only follow-up visits, platform companies feared 'mass bankruptcies,' and the co-founder of Doctor Now even sent a handwritten letter to the Yongsan Presidential Office as a clear example. According to a survey commissioned by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute and conducted by Korea Research in September 2022 with 1,707 respondents, 62.3% of the public were satisfied with non-face-to-face consultations, and 87.9% expressed willingness to use them in the future. On the other hand, hospitals, clinics, doctors, and pharmacists have consistently opposed it. As the endemic phase approaches, opposition voices have grown louder due to concerns that non-face-to-face consultations and drug delivery could lead to the collapse of the traditional medical market and misuse of medications.

The ruling party and government’s agreement allows initial consultations only for remote mountainous areas, those with mobility difficulties, and patients with rare diseases, with drug delivery permitted only in a limited manner. Follow-up visits are allowed only for a very small number of patients. This is a relief for doctors and pharmacists. Although the platform industry suffered a complete defeat, it gained the benefit of entering the system legally rather than operating illegally. The limited allowance at least provided some breathing room, and there is hope that industry opinions can be reflected during the finalization process. However, the opinions of the public, who had hoped for continued non-face-to-face consultations, were excluded.

Non-face-to-face consultation is a euphemistic term for telemedicine. Telemedicine refers to medical care conducted without visiting a hospital, using wired or wireless communication and video. Telemedicine was promoted during the Roh Moo-hyun, Lee Myung-bak, and Park Geun-hye administrations but has not progressed due to being trapped in the frame of 'medical commercialization.' There are concerns that if telemedicine is introduced, local and small hospitals and pharmacies may close. Looking at the ruling party and government’s agreement, which is hard to even call 'non-face-to-face,' concerns extend to the future of digital healthcare. Recently approved digital therapeutic devices (DTx) represent a globally emerging market with great potential. The regulatory process leading up to approval has been actively managed by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and is regarded as world-class.

However, regulations related to telemedicine necessary for actual commercialization have yet to be properly established. When patient interviews, examinations, diagnoses, and prescriptions are conducted remotely, DTx can take flight. But current medical law prohibits telemedicine practices for patients. Not only should approval-related regulations be world-class, but regulations for commercialization must also be actively eased. Without telemedicine, 'K-Bio' and 'K-Digital Healthcare' are mere empty slogans.

During the 2021 presidential election campaign, President Yoon Suk-yeol said, "While metaverse surgeries are being performed overseas, in Korea, even basic non-face-to-face consultations are not agreed upon between the medical community and those seeking new innovations due to health insurance and various medical systems. In this situation, the government does not mediate or propose solutions but simply says, 'Reach an agreement yourselves.'" He added, "Non-face-to-face consultation is an unavoidable reality that must be accepted. We will ensure that all citizens can enjoy the benefits of advanced technology." The 'reality' two years ago and now has not improved. Lee Kyung-ho, Head of Biohealth Department

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