Time to push for deregulation for remote medical services
South Korea is one of the leading information and communications technology (ICT) countries in the world. Unfortunately, however, when it comes to telemedicine and remote medical services, the nation is virtually at the bottom due to various regulations and the opposition of interest groups.
The TV footage of President Moon Jae-in observing the treatment of a patient through a remote medical service in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, during his state visit last week suggested something important for Korea. The image underlined the urgent need for the nation to utilize telemedicine as soon as possible. This service has been already put into practice in many countries including the United States, Japan and China.
The scene showed an Uzbek doctor in Tashkent and a Korean physician in Incheon jointly treating an Uzbek patient through the internet. The patient earlier visited Korea to get healthcare services at Inha University Hospital. The joint treatment testifies to the high level of South Korea's ICT and telemedicine knowhow.
However, remote diagnosis and treatment by means of telecommunications technology are still not allowed here. In comparison, Uzbekistan which is far behind South Korea in terms of ICT is very active in introducing remote medical services for the people's health and a higher quality of life.
The Korean Medical Association and other interest groups opposing telemedicine claim that remote medical treatment does not guarantee the safety of patients and the prevention of medical accidents. But the growing use of telemedicine among many countries around the globe means the technology of today is safe. Full-fledged 5G mobile communication networks are certain to give a boost to remote medical services.
The global telemedicine market has already exceeded $30 billion in sales this year and is expected to expand to $41.2 billion by 2021. There is no reason at all to further delay the introduction of this state-of-art system. The National Assembly should revise the Medical Services Act as soon as possible to allow remote treatment through the internet.
South Korea is one of the leading information and communications technology (ICT) countries in the world. Unfortunately, however, when it comes to telemedicine and remote medical services, the nation is virtually at the bottom due to various regulations and the opposition of interest groups.
The TV footage of President Moon Jae-in observing the treatment of a patient through a remote medical service in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, during his state visit last week suggested something important for Korea. The image underlined the urgent need for the nation to utilize telemedicine as soon as possible. This service has been already put into practice in many countries including the United States, Japan and China.
The scene showed an Uzbek doctor in Tashkent and a Korean physician in Incheon jointly treating an Uzbek patient through the internet. The patient earlier visited Korea to get healthcare services at Inha University Hospital. The joint treatment testifies to the high level of South Korea's ICT and telemedicine knowhow.
However, remote diagnosis and treatment by means of telecommunications technology are still not allowed here. In comparison, Uzbekistan which is far behind South Korea in terms of ICT is very active in introducing remote medical services for the people's health and a higher quality of life.
The Korean Medical Association and other interest groups opposing telemedicine claim that remote medical treatment does not guarantee the safety of patients and the prevention of medical accidents. But the growing use of telemedicine among many countries around the globe means the technology of today is safe. Full-fledged 5G mobile communication networks are certain to give a boost to remote medical services.
The global telemedicine market has already exceeded $30 billion in sales this year and is expected to expand to $41.2 billion by 2021. There is no reason at all to further delay the introduction of this state-of-art system. The National Assembly should revise the Medical Services Act as soon as possible to allow remote treatment through the internet.
![[INTERVIEW] Can art become stable investment source?](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/d9b4b117e5b74f4c931de724ebd2ee68.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Choi Min-sik, Lee Dong-hwi on creating Korean-style noir with 'Big Bet'](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/8b795a8f6b42492db4e8fdc47e9abd8d.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
