원격의료의 실현을 위한 입법 개선에 관한 소고

A Study on the Improvement of Legislation for the Realization of Telemedicine

Telemedicine refers to all activities in which medical providers and medical consumers at a distance deliver medical information and medical services using information and communication technology. This is an effective way to provide high-quality medical services to patients in areas where medical information or medical services are not sufficiently provided, chronic patients who need regular treatment and care, elderly people who are unable to frequent hospitals due to poor mobility, and patients who need emergency care in urgent situations. In Korea, however, the pros and cons of telemedicine have been tense so far, and the medical law only allows telemedicine between doctors and dotors, but does not allow telemedicine between doctors and patients. The recent spread of COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of non-face-to-face activity, with the government moving to repromote allowing telemedicine between doctors and patients, and the medical community is keeping an eye on the trend. For a long time, the government introduced a bill to the National Assembly but failed to implement it due to strong opposition from the medical community because of concerns that the safety of telemedicine cannot be guaranteed and that it will accelerate the collapse of the medical delivery system. In order to dispel these concerns, it is urgent to draw up legislation to effectively enforce telemedicine. Most of all, it is necessary to lay the foundation for safe implementation of telemedicine by expanding the allowable range of telemedicine, clarifying the types of patients to which telemedicine is allowed, establishing accurate classification standards for medical institutions that can implement telemedicine, supplementing the responsibilities of telemedicine doctors, and strengthening the privacy regulations for telemedicine.