Health checkups in Korea: what international patients should know

What does a health checkup in Korea include?

A program is built from a basic set of tests plus options chosen for your age, sex, family history and concerns. Programs differ between hospitals, so compare the list of tests, not the name of the package.

How do you prepare for a health checkup?

Follow the hospital's written instructions on fasting, medicines and bowel preparation exactly, because poor preparation can make a test unreadable or mean it has to be repeated. Ask for the instructions in your language as soon as you book.

• Fasting: ask how long before the appointment to stop eating and drinking, and whether water is allowed.
• Medicines: tell the hospital everything you take, especially blood thinners and diabetes medicine. Do not stop a medicine on your own. Ask the hospital and your own doctor first.
• Bowel preparation: for a colonoscopy, ask when to change your diet and when to take the preparation, and plan your arrival and accommodation around it.
• Pregnancy: tell the hospital if you are or may be pregnant, because some tests are then left out.
• Menstrual period: ask whether to avoid certain dates, because some tests are affected.
• Implants and allergies: tell the hospital about pacemakers, metal implants and any reaction to contrast agents before an MRI or CT scan.
• Records: bring earlier results and a list of your conditions so the doctor can compare.
• Rest: avoid alcohol and heavy meals beforehand as the hospital advises, and try not to schedule the checkup straight after a long flight.

How long should you stay in Korea for a health checkup?

The tests are often completed in one visit, but leave time on both sides. You need time before for preparation, and time after for the results, a consultation with a doctor and any further tests the results call for.

Not every result is ready on the day. Ask which results you will receive before you leave, which will be sent later and how, and whether a doctor will explain them in person or remotely.

• Arrive early enough to prepare properly, especially for a colonoscopy.
• If you choose sedation, keep the rest of that day free and do not drive.
• If a polyp is removed or a tissue sample is taken, ask whether that changes when you can fly.
• Leave spare days in case the doctor suggests a further test while you are still in Korea.

What should you ask before you book a checkup?

Ask exactly which tests are included, who explains the results and in which language, and what happens if something abnormal is found. Get the list of tests and the total cost in writing.

• Which tests are in the program, and which are optional extras?
• Why is each optional scan suggested for someone of my age and history?
• Who performs the endoscopy, and is sedation available?
• Will a doctor explain the results to me, when, and in which language?
• Will I receive a written report in English and copies of the images?
• If a result is abnormal, can further tests or a specialist consultation happen during my stay?
• What is the total cost, including optional tests, sedation, tissue samples and the report?
• Is the hospital registered to treat foreign patients?

What does a typical checkup day look like?

You check in after fasting, change into a gown and move between test stations in a set order, usually finishing with endoscopy if you have chosen it. Staff guide you from one station to the next, so ask in advance whether an interpreter or coordinator will be with you.

1. Check-in: staff confirm your identity, your health questionnaire and that you have followed the preparation.
2. Measurements and samples: height, weight, blood pressure, blood and urine.
3. Imaging and other tests: X-ray, ultrasound, heart tests and any scans you have chosen.
4. Endoscopy: usually toward the end, with sedation if you have agreed to it, followed by rest in a recovery area.
5. Wrap-up: you may receive early results or a first explanation, and you are told when the full report will be ready.

You will be asked to sign a consent form for procedures such as sedated endoscopy. If you do not understand it, ask for an interpreter before signing.

What do you do with the results once you are home?

Give the full report to your regular doctor and agree on who will follow up on each abnormal finding. A checkup is useful only if someone acts on the results.

• Ask for the report in English and for image files in a format other hospitals can open.
• Ask how to contact the hospital with questions about the report, and in which language.
• If a tissue sample was taken, make sure you know when and how that result will reach you.
• Do not treat a normal result as a reason to ignore symptoms. See a doctor if something feels wrong.
• Keep the report. It gives your doctor a baseline to compare with future tests.