Sharp Decline in Users After Telemedicine Pilot Project... "Considering Expansion of Eligible Users"

Since the transition to the pilot project for non-face-to-face medical consultations, the number of users has sharply declined as the target patients have shifted mainly to returning patients. As the introduction of non-face-to-face consultations has not improved public convenience as intended, the government is preparing measures to expand the scope of eligible users.

According to the status statistics disclosed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare at the "Non-Face-to-Face Medical Consultation Pilot Project Public Hearing" held on the 14th, the number of users of non-face-to-face consultations has been continuously decreasing, with 140,373 users in June, the first month of the pilot project, and 127,360 users in July. From February 2020, when temporary non-face-to-face consultations were allowed, to May of this year, the average monthly number of users was 201,833. After the transition to the pilot project, the average monthly number of users dropped by 30% compared to before the pilot project.

Non-face-to-face consultations, temporarily permitted during the spread of COVID-19, were available to anyone, but with the pilot project, the focus shifted mainly to returning patients who had prior face-to-face consultation experience. In fact, based on June data from clinic-level medical institutions, returning patients accounted for 82.7% (126,648 cases), while first-time patients accounted for only 17.3% (26,510 cases).

Since this month, with the end of the pilot project’s grace period, the number of users may have declined even further. According to the Remote Medical Industry Council, from September 1 to 10, the number of non-face-to-face consultation cases was 374, a drastic 92.5% decrease compared to May. Due to the sharp decline in users, platform operators who judged that they could no longer sustain the business have been announcing service terminations one after another.

Ultimately, as even returning patients find it difficult to use non-face-to-face consultations, the Ministry of Health and Welfare is gathering opinions on expanding the scope of eligible users. Measures under active consideration include adjusting the criteria for returning patients’ eligibility period and allowing first-time non-face-to-face consultations during nighttime, holidays, and long weekends.

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