Korean Telco gets Medico – a potentially lucrative trade

.
“I’m sorry doc; I missed my appointment because my PC has a virus.”
For many, going to the doctor for that regular health check-up is something we delay as other daily life activities take priority. For others, black marks start to accumulate on our appointment cards as we postpone those visits to avoid coming face to face with our fears.
A new budding relationship between the medical sector and telcos in Korea, however, could see a future where leaving your house to travel to the surgery becomes redundant.

Telecom companies, who have been looking for something else to play with while voice calls languish in ever growing insignificance, seem to have found medical providers as the perfect playmate, offering up the potential of a tele-health industry that would run on the unlimited fixed-line and wireless networks provided by the telcos.
Communication technology like internet protocol television (IPTV), as well as the shift towards digital health records, has laid the foundations for an environment in which such a business pursuit could flourish.
The prospect of transcending established profit margins with this new business model has sent KT telecom’s heart racing with excitement.
Since March, KT have been conducting tests on its tele-health applications in a Seoul hospital trial, with a view to go live as early as August.
KT is not putting all its eggs in one basket, however, and is currently in negotiations with two other hospitals in Seoul to discuss the implementation of tele-health applications.
So, in practice what could this mean for tech savvy patients?
Patients would be able to receive care remotely in the comfort of their own home, using the tele- health service to monitor conditions such as diabetes.
KT’s VoIP system would allow patients to send their blood sugar levels and other vital information over to their doctors from the comfort of their own homes.
The service would also create a link between patients who were subsequently unable to access medical services and those who suffer from illnesses that make the journey to the hospital problematic.
In such circumstances tele-health patients can connect with the hospital via their personal computers or video conferencing systems.
It is not only KT rubbing its hands together, but other major players who have invested in the IPTV business, such as LG and SK Broadband, who would also benefit if the tele-health industry were to take off.
At the moment IPTV is struggling to compete with the likes of digital and satellite, however its interactive appeal sets it apart, and tele-health would be another interactive service offered that could make more customers bite the bait.
With the Korean government currently looking to review laws to grant medical services the ability to practice remotely in conjunction with communications technology, telcos should be granted the required access to implement the service.
And with the prospect of addressing the issue of limited medical experts and long waiting lists, the medical services also seem to be on to a winner.
A win-win situation then?
Only time will tell, for the success of such a venture will likely depend on the third player: the patient. Whether or not a virtual relationship will be favoured over tangible face to face care remains to be seen.