Publication date: Jun 16, 2025

The 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. This 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. A 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. Participants’ 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

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Semantics

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