Regulations hamstring smart healthcare in Korea
01-Feb-16, Korea Joongang Daily
At the 2012 Yeosu Expo, carrier SK Telecom devoted a booth to showcasing its vision for the imminent future of health care: remote treatment.
Image: Joongang Ilbo
Four years later, the future SK Telecom thought was just around the corner has yet to come true. This is because of regulatory barriers in Korea, while health care systems around the globe continue to evolve at a rapid pace.
“Zero progress has been made on the smart health platform since we showcased it at the Yeosu Expo,” said a manager at SK Telecom. “There is nothing we, as an IT company, can do about it because the law prohibiting remote diagnosis and treatment of patients remains unchanged. What’s 100 percent certain, though, is that the health care field is a land of infinite opportunity for the IT industry.”