Patient Guideline > Information for Patient

Patient Guideline > Information for Patient

The following patient guideline is provided for foreigners who wish to become familiar with healthcare providers in the Requblic of Korera. Hence, this guideline is solely for the purpose of guiding foreigners in the Republic of Korea of their rights and obligations when receiving medical examinations or treatments, and other than the provisions set forth by domestic law, is not a legal force in effect.

Use of foreign medical services is a voluntary act by the patient.

Prior to obtaining foreign medical services, all patients are advised to first consult with his or her family doctor or a general practitioner, and thoroughly examine issues regarding post-treatment care after returning home as well.

Patients must fully understand, prior to making a decision to use foreign medical services, that long flight hours along with other necessary activities may affect the treatment results.

Patients must understand their rights as well as obligations prior to obtaining foreign medical services.

Patients must check all information regarding the healthcare provider's certification status, clinical data, and a physician's license as well as clinical experiences published on the healthcare provider's homepage.

Patients must check and confirm in advance the individual fees for medical treatment, medication, as well as fees due to unexpected additional expenses incurred by added optional treatments and bear in mind the total expected expense from both the healthcare provider and the medical travel facilitator.

Patients must check in advance the necessary documentation (visa, diagnosis, transfer forms, prescriptions, insurance policy, etc) for the treatment to be accomplished smoothly.

Patients shall have the right to not be discriminated against based on ethnicity, religion, race or gender.

In diagnosis and course of treatment, the first priority is given to the patient's intent, and it is a patient's right to have his or her character and individual decisions respected.

In order to receive safe medical services, patients are advised to work with healthcare providers and medical travel facilitators that are registered and authorized to serve foreign patients by the Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Patients shall be informed in details of examination procedures, dispute settlement system, private data protection as well as patient's rights and requirements by healthcare providers and facilitators.

In terms of the contract between patient and healthcare providers or the contract between patient and foreign medical travel facilitators, each party shall perform all its duties faithfully about the division and implementation on the contract based on the Principle of Duty of Good Faith and Fair Dealing, Article 2, Civil Code of Republic of Korea.

Patients are advised to check that medical coordinators or interpreters are arranged at the prospective healthcare providers to assist with the patients' consultation and examination.

Patients shall have the right to have full knowledge of all related medical treatment records (results), medical facts and health status. However, patients' personal information can only be disclosed with a patient's agreement or when the law clearly allows it.

When the medical dispute occurs between a patient and a healthcare provider, both parties shall cooperate to achieve an amicable settlement, and the patient may request the KHIDI (Medical Call Center) for the registration of and consultation on the dispute.

Patients are advised to confirm whether the healthcare providers have their own medical malpractice compensation fund (liability insurance)

Patients must understand and receive all details in advance from healthcare providers and foreign medical travel facilitators related to emergency situations including response systems and appropriate response methods (contact information of healthcare provider, Medical Call Center, etc).

Patients are advised to ask medical doctors or staff for appropriate post-treatment care upon arrival in their individual home country.

Patients shall have the right to address any opinion or comment (complaints, improvements requests, etc) to the 'Medical Call Center' during or after the medical treatment in Korea.