"Visited Three Clinics, Still Told to Wait an Hour"... The Sigh of a Grandmother Unfamiliar with Apps

Elderly On-Site Visitors Left Frustrated Unaware of App Reservation Process

"Need for Better App Instructions... Digital Accessibility Must Be Improved"

Recently at the reception desk of a pediatric and adolescent clinic in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. After the end of kindergarten and daycare pickup times, the waiting area became packed with children and their parents awaiting medical care. To the right of the hospital entrance, there was a kiosk with a sign that read, "Don't wait—register via Ddocdoc." The monitor showed that 16 people were in line.Moon (37) said, "I made a reservation through the application before getting off work," and added, "If you book in advance, you can receive treatment faster than if you wait on site."

By contrast, Han (71), who came holding her granddaughter’s hand, faced a different situation. Han was visibly upset when a nurse told her she would have to wait over an hour. She said, "I went to three clinics in the neighborhood, but all of them either stopped receiving patients or said I’d have to wait more than one to two hours," and added, "I even took the bus to get here, but since I didn't know about the app reservation system, it seems my trip was wasted."

On the afternoon of the 14th, about 10 people including children and parents were waiting for medical treatment at a pediatric clinic in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jaehyun Park

As the influenza outbreak is spreading faster than in previous years and demand for medical visits is rapidly increasing, access to medical treatment is now varying depending on whether patients have signed up for paid membership and use private healthcare platforms. Experts suggest that measures should be implemented to ensure there is no disparity in access to medical services based on the use of private platforms.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on September 28, between the 13th and 19th (the 38th epidemiological week), the number of suspected influenza cases at clinics was 32.3 per 1,000 outpatients. This figure has quadrupled compared to the same period last year (8.0 per 1,000). The agency issued an influenza outbreak advisory on the 11th and began the national flu vaccination campaign on the 21st.

This surge in patients during influenza season highlights how the pre-registration system via private apps can push walk-in patients further down the waiting list. For example, with the 'Ddocdoc' hospital reception and reservation app, the mobile registration window opens at designated times in the morning and afternoon, resulting in queues of dozens of users and making ‘mobile open runs’ a daily occurrence.

As a result, except for walk-in patients who register immediately after the hospital opens, those who visit during operating hours are already assigned a place far behind in line upon arrival. While app registrants are not automatically given priority over on-site registrants, when users reserve the higher spots in the queue through the app, walk-in patients experience longer perceived waiting times. This creates an especially challenging situation for the elderly and other digitally vulnerable groups. A representative from VIVROS, the operator of Ddocdoc, explained, "The purpose of the platform is to reduce physical waiting times at hospitals," and added, "The allocation for on-site registration or priority treatment for emergency patients is determined by each hospital’s independent policy and judgment."

On the afternoon of the 14th, a kiosk guiding reservations through an app was installed at a pediatric and adolescent hospital in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jaehyun Park

Although the National Assembly has held discussions to prevent disparities in medical access caused by private app usage, legal amendments have been slow to materialize. Sujin Lee, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party, sponsored a bill in September last year to amend the Medical Service Act, aiming to prohibit medical institutions from being forced to use specific apps, restricting usage by patients, or receiving economic benefits in return for giving preference to app users. At that time, the Ministry of Health and Welfare agreed on the need to prohibit forced use of any specific app, but stated that there was concern the amendment could also inadvertently ban platforms from receiving legitimate payments for providing reservation services—thus requiring careful review.

Experts recognize the convenience of private apps but point out that support measures should be provided for those who find them difficult to use. Chae Su-mi, Head of the Health and Medical Policy Research Office at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, stated, "The introduction of private apps is largely intended to reduce waiting times and provide greater convenience," but added, "It is desirable to pursue supplementary measures that make instructions for app usage clearer and enhance digital accessibility."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.