Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40523273›Full record

ArticleJournal of medical Internet research2025

Willingness to Use and Pay for Telemedicine and Teleconsultation Across Five Clinical Domains in South Korea: Cross-Sectional Survey.

Hajae Jeon, Jeahyung Lee, Jieun Jang, Mingee Choi, Junbok Lee, Jaeyong Shin

Abstract read
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Article in Journal of medical Internet research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Hajae Jeon *Department of Public Health, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8121-2067
Jeahyung Lee *Department of Economics, College of Commerce and Economics, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2799-9034
Jieun JangDepartment of Preventive Medicine, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1797-8649
Mingee ChoiDepartment of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9383-6402
Junbok LeeInstitute for Innovation in Digital Healthcare, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7770-4362
Jaeyong ShinDepartment of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2955-6382

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic accelerated global telehealth adoption, prompting the South Korean government to temporarily legalize telemedicine in 2020 and subsequently launch a pilot program in 2023. As South Korea transitions to a postpandemic digital health environment, understanding the factors associated with willingness to use (WTU) and willingness to pay (WTP) for telemedicine and teleconsultation is essential for informing effective policy and service design. However, few studies have explored how preferences vary across clinical domains or user groups.

objectiveThis study examined the factors that influence WTU and WTP for telemedicine and teleconsultation across 5 clinical domains: dermatological, psychiatric, musculoskeletal, internal medicine, and cancer disorders.

methodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among 552 participants aged 19-69 years in South Korea, selected through stratified sampling. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to examine WTU and WTP, considering sociodemographic factors and previous telemedicine experience.

resultsParticipants' age, residence, and previous telemedicine experience significantly influenced their WTU and WTP for telemedicine services. WTP increased with age for both telemedicine (P-for-trend=.02) and teleconsultation (P-for-trend=.001). Noncapital residents showed significantly higher WTU for teleconsultation than capital area residents (odds ratio [OR] 1.48, 90% CI 1.03-2.12; P=.07). Participants with previous telemedicine experience showed higher WTU for telemedicine (OR 4.07, 90% CI 1.84-9.04; P=.004) and teleconsultation (OR 2.21, 90% CI 1.21-4.06; P=.03), and higher WTP for telemedicine (OR 2.89, 90% CI 1.84-4.54; P<.001) and teleconsultation (OR 2.76, 90% CI 1.77-4.30; P<.001). WTU and WTP varied by clinical domain: psychiatric care showed the highest WTU (64.5%) and WTP (27.0%) for telemedicine, while cancer disorders showed higher WTU (48.6%) and WTP (24.8%) for teleconsultation than for telemedicine.

conclusionsWTU and WTP for telemedicine and teleconsultation differ substantially depending on service type, clinical domain, and user characteristics. These findings highlight the importance of considering prior telemedicine experience, regional access disparities, and condition-specific care needs when designing digital health strategies. Accordingly, flexible, user-centered telehealth policies are needed to support service accessibility and equitable implementation in the post-COVID-19 era. The insights from this study can serve as a practical foundation for developing inclusive digital health systems in countries undergoing similar transitions.

Indexed as

Patient Acceptance of Health CareRemote ConsultationTelemedicineAdultAgedCOVID-19Cross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRepublic of KoreaSARS-CoV-2Surveys and QuestionnairesYoung Adultdigital healthhealth technologypatient preferencestelehealth

Identifiers

PMID40523273
PMCPMC12209718

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.