원격의료 도입의 확대를 위한 법적 과제

As COVID-19 spread in 2020, the government temporarily allowed telemedicine between doctors and patients, allowing phone consultations or issuing prescriptions without visiting medical institutions in person. Most of the patients who used telemedicine showed a good response, as they were willing to use telemedicine again. Until now, with regard to telemedicine, our country has taken the position of expanding the scope of telemedicine largely for reasons of patient convenience and economic effectiveness, and that telemedicine should be permitted to a minimum in order to protect the lives and bodies of patients by preventing the possibility of misdiagnosis. Positions are conflicting. Although Korea is well-equipped with public healthcare, access to healthcare for residents in remote areas is very poor, and as the gap in medical services between regions grows, the number of patients traveling to large hospitals for treatment continues to increase. Considering this reality, it cannot be denied that telemedicine may be the only alternative. The National Assembly proposed a revision to the Medical Service Act to temporarily expand the scope of permitted telemedicine, but it is pending in the National Assembly as social consensus has not yet been reached. However, with the inauguration of the current government, 'institutionalization of non-face-to-face medical treatment' was included in the 110 major national tasks, and from December 15, 2023, any citizen can receive treatment history related to medical treatment history on holidays and at night, even in areas other than islands, remote areas, or areas vulnerable to emergency medical services. Non-face-to-face medical treatment has become possible. Based on these contents, this paper analyzes the content surrounding telemedicine and proposes the need for expansion of telemedicine and the direction of amendments to the Medical Service Act.