Perceptions and Utilisation of Digital Health Technologies Among Healthcare Professionals in South Korea
Sejun Jeon, Minjae Yoon, Eung Ju Kim, Byung-Su Yoo, Seok-Min Kang, Han Soo Kim, Dong-Ju ChoiAbstract
Aims
Digital health technologies are rapidly transforming clinical practice, yet data on clinicians’ real-world adoption and perceptions remain limited. We surveyed Korean healthcare professionals to evaluate awareness, utilisation patterns, perceived needs, and barriers related to digital health.
Methods and results
A web-based survey was conducted from May to July 2025 among members of two Korean medical societies, yielding 410 responses from 4,796 invitees. The 25-item questionnaire covered eight domains related to digital health. Most respondents were physicians specialising in internal medicine across primary, secondary, and tertiary care settings, with those in their 40s–50s being the predominant age group. Familiarity with digital health was high, with more than 60% reporting being familiar or very familiar, yet actual clinical use was lower, with only about 40% reporting frequent use. More than half reported having used artificial intelligence or artificial intelligence-based medical devices in routine practice, most commonly imaging analysis software and diagnostic support systems. Overall, 59.3%, 75.9% and 78.3% had used mobile health applications, wearable devices, and were familiar with medical device software, respectively. However, only 31.2% had ever used telemedicine services. Respondents cited improved work convenience and clinical decision-making efficiency as the main reasons for adopting digital health and identified chronic disease management as the area most likely to benefit. Key barriers included concerns about errors, lack of familiarity, and regulatory restrictions.
Conclusion
Korean healthcare professionals show high familiarity with, and interest in, digital health, yet report only moderate levels of clinical utilisation and continue to face practical and regulatory challenges.