A doctor speaks with a patient via a video call. Getty Images Bank
Korea is expanding medical frontiers beyond its physical borders, legalizing telemedicine for international patients in a bid to solidify its position as a premier global health care hub.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced Tuesday the promulgation of a revised law that establishes a formal legal framework for remote medical care tailored specifically to foreign nationals. Set to take effect next year after a 12-month grace period, the legislation marks a major shift by regulatory planners seeking to maintain momentum in an industry that drew a record 2.01 million international patients last year.
Under the newly amended Act on Support for Overseas Medical Expansion and Attraction of Foreign Patients, licensed doctors, dentists and traditional medicine practitioners at designated medical institutions can provide digital consultations, remote monitoring, clinical diagnoses and prescriptions to overseas patients using advanced information and communications technology. Unlike the stricter domestic telemedicine rules established under the Medical Service Act which limit remote care to returning domestic patients at local neighborhood clinics, the new international framework permits remote first-time appointments and extends to larger general hospitals.
