The use of the telephone for a medical consultation for checking the examination results

검사 결과 확인을 위한 전화 진료의 활용

Purpose Patients should have a regular medical check-up, the cost direct and indirect medical expenses to check the results, and revisit the hospital. Some of patients often want to use the telephone for a medical consultation, Method The subjects participating in this study were a selection 485 patients who received outpatient service in Asan Medical Center and Gangbuk Samsung Hospital. The patients's favorite method for medical check-up, time, cost, fatigue, and inconvenience, in regard with the revisit to check the examination results, were researched and analyzed on identical questionnaires about them. Results The average transportation, food expenses and opportunity costs the subjects spent was 90,400 for those from the Seoul and Gyunggi area, and 269,800 from other area. And the average required time per visit was 4.13 hours for those from the Seoul and Gyunggi area, 11.84 hours from other areas, and averagely 7.72 hours for all the subjects. More than 75% of the subjects answered that they felt tired and their work was interrupted. The subjects from both areas preferred the check by phone. Conclusion If the scope of telephone medical consultation is defined and the doctor-patient certification is possible, it can be thought as an efficient alternative of the medical check-up by revisit. It is necessary to discuss an appropriate amount of the medical check-up by phone which the same cost and effort can be allocated in.