# Evaluation of AI-Assisted Telemedicine Service Using a Mobile Pet Application
## 2 Background
### Perception of Telemedicine Services  
Telemedicine service refers to the provision of medical services in a non-face-to-face format by medical staff using images or other remote equipment for patients as IT technology develops. It also refers to all services that receive doctors' opinions through phone, text, or remotely, in addition to video chat, monitoring patients, and transmitting physiological data through wearable devices [4]. If telemedicine is generally allowed, collaboration with overseas medical staff is possible, which can provide an opportunity to ensure the continuity of medical services. Telemedicine services are being implemented or considered in the United States, China, Japan, and many European countries. These countries have also introduced AI technology to enable more precise treatment. In particular, telemedicine services in China, which has a large population and vast territory, are estimated to have over 100 million users based on easy accessibility [48]. Telemedicine services have the advantage of ensuring the health of inaccessible local residents, increasing convenience, and fostering new industries related to medical care. Conversely, there are also disadvantages. Patients may be concentrated in certain famous large hospitals, and there are concerns about the privatization of medical care and leaking patients' personal information [49]. However, in recent years, in a global pandemic environment such as that brought about by COVID-19, a shift in perception about the non-face-to-face treatment being needed to protect the health rights of the people and to keep both medical staff and patients safe from infectious diseases has begun to occur [5]. Many Korean studies on telemedicine deal with conflicts between the government and medical associations. Due to COVID-19, the Ministry of Health and Welfare allowed non-face-to-face treatment, such as video telemedicine and remote monitoring, for viral infections from 24 February 2020. However, the medical association maintains the position that it cannot be allowed because technical stability and legality are not guaranteed. In addition, their opposition cites the possible collapse of the healthcare infrastructure, which could worsen hospital profitability. Their arguments are that, while treatment may be possible remotely, the actual effectiveness of telemedicine will be reduced because medications require direct visits to the pharmacy to fill prescriptions. Similarly, they argue that it is not a prudent decision to simply allow telemedicine without legally solving many problems such as leaking sensitive personal information, the responsibility for medical accidents, and the application of medical insurance premiums [50]. For this reason, despite the fact that telemedicine is being implemented around the world, in the case of Korea, there remains a situation in which the first step has not been taken due to safety issues and opposition from medical groups. A Korean survey on the perceptions about telemedicine by nursing students, nurses, and the general public reveals that nursing students and the general public have more positive perceptions about telemedicine than do nurses. While nurses positively evaluated the efficiency of time, they perceived the safety of telemedicine to be low in aspects that are directly related to the patient's life [51]. Table 3 summarizes the general confrontational claims of the government and medical as sociations on sensitive matters such as telemedicine and the composition of working-level consultative bodies, which have recently become an issue due to COVID-19. The current status of telemedicine for companion animals in Korea is as follows: Several studies have developed platforms for companion animals and, through research, indirectly verified the effectiveness of telemedicine for humans. The POSCO Research Institute (POSRI) is leading this research [52; 53]. On the other hand, veterinary-related organizations are in opposition.