Differences in Health Care Concepts Between the East and West

Associate Professor of Family MedicineMedical DirectorInternational Health Care CenterSeverance HospitalYonsei University College of Medicine

Scientific Approach

• Self Identification• Problem Identification• Problem Resolution

Good and difficult patients

• The problem is not how you serve the 95%

“Good Patients”

• The problem is how to take care of the 5%

“Troubled or Difficult Patients”

Ideal Philosophy

• A - Attitude• S - Skill• K - Knowledge

The Curse of Being Big

• Details lost• It’s not my mother!• Anybody, Somebody, Nobody……

Concept of Medication

• West– Medication is a toxin (necessary evil)

• East – Medicine is a substance that corrects imbal-

ances in the body (yin/yang; the more the bet-ter)

• Different combinations are effective for dif-ferent diseases

Different Views on the Value of the Sci-entific Approach

• West–Scientific approach is the mainstream or

the way (Evidence Based Medicine)–Other ways are alternative

• East–Scientific based medicine is one of

many alternative treatments

Permission

• Informed consent– Procedure / X-ray dye etc

• Permission from the patient vs Surrogate Permission

• Privacy

Telling the patient the severity of the disease

• Morbidity rate• Mortality at 5 years

West East

Tell all directlyAvoid bad news

(inform family in detail)

Nursing Differences

• Skin to skin care : Who provides?–Nurse or family members–Sanitation–Pain management

Payment

• Insurance• Assistance

– ex : SOS

• Billing vs Prepayment

Need for Reform in Korea

• Healthcare• Education

Medicine

Is it a right?

or a privilege?

Problems of Healthcare in Korea

• Socialized Medicine• Lack of Stars• Lack of Services

Socialized Medicine

The worry of socialism / communism

Lack of Stars

Why Saudi kings do not come to

Korea for treatment?

Lack of Services

1. Medical / Administrative

(Payment, Credit-card etc.)

2. Door to door service lacking

3. 알선수재 4. Crowded atmosphere

Success stories

- Singapore- Hongkong- Thailand

Future possibilities

Medical Tourism- New US insurance concepts- Korean Americans (Severance alumni)- Focusing on international public relations

Merging of service departments

• Department of External Affairs• V team• International Health Care Center

• A 24hr 365day service providing contact tele-phone number is an essential start

• Systemized approach to patient’s care• Personal contacts are inadequate

Let’s go together!