Medical workers at Seoul National University Hospital’s branch in Moongyeong, North Gyeongsang Province, monitor health-related data of coronavirus patients in this undated file photo. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 8 (Korea Bizwire) — Seven in 10 South Koreans have already used or are willing to use telemedicine services during the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey showed Thursday.
A joint research team from the National Cancer Center and the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital conducted a survey of 2,097 adults over 20 years of age.
Among the respondents, 74.3 percent (1,558 persons) said that they already knew what telemedicine is.
The share of those who were aware of telemedicine was high for those who were older and had a higher monthly income.
Those who subscribed to private insurance plans or reported having underlying diseases and married persons showed a higher level of awareness about telemedicine than other groups.
The persons who experienced delays in medical services were more likely to say that they were aware of telemedicine than those without such experience.
Another 57.1 percent (1,198 persons) of the respondents said that they agree with the use of telemedicine services, with the group with a higher level of awareness about telemedicine showing a higher rate of agreement.
In contrast, residents of Seoul and those in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province showed a lower rate of agreement than those residing in other areas.
At 70.3 percent (1,474 persons), more than two-thirds of the respondents said that they were likely to use telemedicine services in the future.
Among the respondents, those who were elderly, who had chronic diseases, who experienced delays in medical service or who already experienced telemedicine service responded positively to the question asking if they were willing to use telemedicine.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
