Reporter’s Notebook: Patients Have Already Chosen Telemedicine

Last weekend, I visited a clinic for a cold. I registered at 9 a.m., but only received a call at 2 p.m. saying I could be seen. Because of work, I was unable to get treatment. Such cases are all too common. This is why telemedicine is becoming an essential part of everyday healthcare. The convenience and efficiency experienced by millions during the pandemic were far from temporary.
According to Hankook Research, 97% of telemedicine users are satisfied, with over 60% reporting they are 'very satisfied.' Patients have noticed tangible improvements: time savings (95.7%), better access to healthcare (94.5%), and a reduction in cases where they had to forgo treatment (93.5%). It is undeniable that telemedicine has already become a 'chosen service' for the public.
The problem is that the system has not kept pace. Telemedicine, which was temporarily allowed during the pandemic, has barely continued as a pilot program amid the healthcare crisis. While both the government and the ruling and opposition parties agree on the need for legislation, key issues remain unresolved, including medication delivery, exemption clauses, and prescription methods.
In the telemedicine industry, there is frustration that 'the system is at a standstill, while the public has already started using it.' The most prominent example is the issue of receiving medication. Sixty-six percent of users said they have to call the pharmacy directly to check if prescriptions can be filled, and more than half reported inconvenience with traveling to and waiting at pharmacies. While consultations are conducted remotely, the prescription process remains stuck in analog methods.
For telemedicine to take root, the goal should not be deregulation, but rather establishing institutional stability that removes uncertainty and anxiety.
While patients, doctors, and companies each have different demands, they all commonly seek clearer standards for responsibility and compensation, improved systems for transmitting prescriptions, reasonable fees, and consistent policy implementation. Achieving consensus among stakeholders may be difficult, but it is the government’s role to create a predictable regulatory environment.
Telemedicine is no longer a technological issue, but a matter of policy choice. The public has already experienced its convenience and efficiency, and medical professionals have recognized the benefits of this new approach. Platform companies are not seeking reckless expansion. Instead, they are calling for the basics: a safe environment and a system that does not inconvenience patients.
Legislation is approaching. The real challenge is not whether to allow telemedicine, but how to improve access to healthcare for the public while ensuring the safety of both medical staff and patients. Telemedicine is an unstoppable trend. Now is the time to properly incorporate this trend into the framework of policy.
[email protected] Reporter