Nine in 10 Seoul dermatology clinics run by non-specialists, prompting disclosure bill

A bill has been introduced that would require medical facilities to display a physician's specialist qualifications and field of specialty at reception desks and clinic entrances.

Of 3,319 single-physician clinics in Seoul registered to offer dermatology services, only 385 — or 11.6 percent — employed a board-certified dermatologist. The legislation follows concerns that patients cannot tell from a clinic's signage alone whether they are being seen by a specialist in that field.

Rep. Park Ji-won of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, said Monday he had introduced the Medical Act amendment as its lead sponsor. The bill would require clinic operators to post in a clearly visible location whether a physician holds specialist certification. Certified specialists would be required to display both their credentials and their specialty, while physicians without specialist certification would be labeled "general practitioners." Violations of the disclosure requirement would be subject to administrative action, including corrective orders.

Under the current system, clinics staffed by general practitioners or specialists in other fields may list dermatology as a service area as long as they meet the relevant facility, equipment and staffing requirements. The "dermatology" label on a clinic's sign indicates only the service the clinic has registered to offer — not the qualifications of the physician on staff — making it necessary for patients to verify specialist credentials separately.

An analysis by Park's office of data submitted by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service as of late July found that 2,934 of the 3,319 surveyed Seoul clinics — 88.4 percent — were staffed by general practitioners or specialists in other fields. Applying the same criteria, the share of clinics with a board-certified dermatologist was 9.4 percent in Daejeon (33 of 350), 7.7 percent in Sejong (6 of 78) and 5.8 percent in Incheon (35 of 607). In North Chungcheong Province the figure was 4.7 percent (15 of 318), and in South Chungcheong Province 3.8 percent (16 of 426).

During a national audit of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Park raised cases in which patients seeking treatment for skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and eczema were turned away or steered toward cosmetic procedures instead. Park called on the ministry to establish a standard labeling system that would allow patients to distinguish a clinic's primary services — such as skin disease treatment versus cosmetic procedures — before visiting, and to submit a concrete implementation schedule.

If passed, the amendment would take effect six months after promulgation. Clinics already in operation at that time would be given an additional six-month grace period from the effective date.