Technological progress results in widened digital gap

Patients wait to be treated at a hospital in Seoul, Oct. 30. Yonhap

A 72-year-old Seoul resident surnamed Lee was shocked when she recently visited a hospital to see a doctor for a severe cold as she was informed that all morning appointments were fully booked because patients had used a hospital booking app known as Ddocdoc.

When Lee asked what time she could come in the afternoon, a hospital staff member told her that she would need to make an afternoon appointment via the Ddocdoc app or register in person after lunchtime, and that using the app would be best because appointments fill up within seconds in the afternoon.

"I had a severe cough ... and went to the hospital for treatment, but I ended up heading back home because I didn't know how to use this app," Lee said. She eventually went to another hospital nearby and was able to receive treatment after waiting for about two hours.

"I feel that the world is changing too fast. Young people who know how to use this app can conveniently use hospitals, but if we can’t handle smart devices well, we have difficulties. I experienced that," she said.

Influenza and pneumonia are spreading and patients are flocking to hospitals, but many say it is too difficult to get treatment without using the hospital booking app.

Since its launch in 2017, Ddocdoc has drawn over 10 million subscribers and is affiliated with 10,000 hospitals nationwide. To make a hospital booking through Ddocdoc, users currently need to pay a subscription fee of 1,000 won ($0.76) per month.

Experts pointed out that this service makes it easy to make medical appointments with a smartphone. But for the elderly who are not used to smart devices and low-income people who cannot afford to subscribe, their right to receive treatment is being violated.

"Ddocdoc has established itself as a convenient service that significantly alleviates the inconvenience of waiting for treatment at hospitals. Korea has the highest smartphone penetration rate in the world. Based on the country’s quality telecommunications infrastructure, Ddocdoc has been able to grow well," Kim Dae-jong, a professor of business administration at Sejong University, said.

"But for the elderly or those who do not use Ddocdoc, it is very inconvenient not to be able to make proper hospital reservations. If people make all reservations with that app, those who don’t use it cannot make reservations, which causes a blind spot in medical care. This should not happen," the professor said.

As controversy over the app continues, the Ministry of Health and Welfare recently sent an official letter to cities and provinces across the country, ordering thorough guidance and supervision to ensure that patients can make hospital appointments on site and by phone.

"If a medical institution refuses other treatment requests such as on-site or telephone appointments despite being able to treat, even though it only receives reservations and appointments through a specific app or internet site, it is a refusal of treatment under the Medical Service Act. Please actively guide medical institutions so that access to treatment is not limited by a specific method," the health ministry said in the letter.

Members of the Seoul Association of Community Care for the Elderly learn how to order food using a kiosk at a hamburger restaurant in Seoul, Oct. 17, 2022. Korea Times photo by Koh Young-kwon

Expansion of education and assistance needed

The digital exclusion caused by the development of digital technology is not only happening in the medical sector.

As the number of stores that order food or goods through kiosks increases and online reservations and digital platform services become commonplace, those digitally excluded cannot cope well, thereby creating a genuine social problem for some.

In November, the Korean Series, which determines the champion of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League, conducted pre-ticket booking online. However, by allowing cancellations to be purchased online first and remaining tickets to be purchased on site later, elderly baseball fans, who are often digitally illiterate, were prevented from enjoying the game at the ballpark.

Hur Jun-soo, a social welfare professor at Soongsil University and director of Soongsil Institute on Super Aged Society, predicted that the gap between those who can use digital services well and those who cannot will continue to grow.

“The National Information Society Agency provides a digital education curriculum for digitally vulnerable groups such as the disabled, the elderly and North Korean defectors. The problem is how to convey this to them. For instance, not all elderly people visit senior welfare centers where digital education is provided. Therefore, it is difficult to implement education for more people due to the very limited number of visitors,” Hur said.

“Young people can quickly call a taxi with a taxi-hailing app, but the elderly can't. Young people might go to the bank once or twice a year, but the elderly have to go to the bank very often to withdraw small amounts. Young people easily shop for goods and groceries via shopping apps, but the elderly struggle to carry their grocery baskets when they go to grocery store. The gap created by digital technology grows like these cases,” the professor added.

The professor emphasized that a system and approach need to be established that can provide real help for the elderly to escape from digital exclusion.

“A network should be formed in senior welfare centers where young people can help the elderly. For instance, they visit the homes of the elderly directly to help them understand the basics and demonstrate simple things so that the elderly can understand digital services. For elderly people living alone, life support workers can visit and help in various ways, and during that time, they can educate them on how to use basic digital devices,” Hur said.

Choi Yoo-mi, a professor of the department of welfare for the elderly at Busan Digital University, also emphasized that more opportunities for education should be provided.

“Eventually, we need to expand education, such as visiting the elderly to educate them or letting them visit the education centers. Enhancing understanding through repetitive learning is the starting point to reduce the digitally excluded social class. It's difficult to get everyone to visit a senior welfare center and receive digital education. Despite this, education must be continuously strengthened,” Choi said.

The professor added that the local government and companies are working together to expand the touchpoints with the elderly in regard to digital education.

“We're seeing a growing number of digital training courses at dealerships of mobile carriers nationwide. Since they are located all over the country, they are a great place to reach out to seniors. I think expanding education in this way is a good start to reducing the digital divide,” the professor said.

Samsung Group also recently announced an initiative, the digital inclusion program, to reduce the digital literacy gap here. The conglomerate said the new social contribution program will be launched next year. Given that Samsung has always led social contribution programs in line with social changes in Korean society, it is noteworthy what kind of substantial changes the new program will bring.