With the Telemedicine guidelines in place, registered medical practitioners can now offer online consultations to people in need of medical attention. Doctors can use teleconsultations, i.e. consultation over phone or computer, to provide diagnosis and treatment for different ailments.
The practice of telemedicine can be of convenience and even prove to be a powerful tool between doctors and their patients. It saves time, is simple and often cost about the same as going to the doctor in-person. Such virtual visits which allow you to consult with a medical professional from home or other remote locations can also help lift the burden on medical systems.
As much as telemedicine has the potential to gain momentum, especially under certain emergency situations, and change the way we embrace medical appointment and services, it’s important for our doctors to be mindful of the way they use it.
Listed below are a few Do’s and Don’ts on the practice of telemedicine.
Do’s
Doctor should identify himself/herself to the patient before every teleconsultation
Providing online consultation should not be anonymous. Both the medical practitioner and the patient must introduce and identify each other at the start of the conversation.
The doctor is required to verify and confirm a patient’s identity by her/his name, age, address, phone number, a registered ID or any other form of identification. Medical professionals are also required to identify themselves by their name, registration number, phone number or email.
Doctor to maintain patient records of teleconsultation
All doctors practising telemedicine are advised to keep check of every virtual consultation made. As per the guidelines, it is mandatory for the medical practitioner to prepare and maintain a track of the patient’s record, which includes his/her’s pictures, case history, copy of prescription, and teleconsultation history like text messages, phone call history, emails, etc. It is recommended to maintain these records for at least 3 years.
Doctor should provide his/her registration number
Telemedicine is only applicable to be used by registered medical professionals and practitioners. Hence, it is imperative for the doctor to display his/her registration number provided by respective State Medical Council on his/her prescription, website, electronic communications (WhatsApp/message/email etc.) and fee receipts given to his/her patients at every point of the consultation.
Doctor should have the patient’s consent
For any online consultation, it is important for the doctor to have the patient’s consent. The consent can be implicit or explicit. The patient can agree to the telemedicine consultation through any means such as sending an email, text message, audio or video message.
Doctor to check for caregiver’s identity and authorization
A caregiver is only equipped to consult on behalf of the patient if he/she has a formal authorization such as a signed authority letter by the patient or his/her legal representatives (family members). The doctor is responsible for the identification and authorization check of the caregiver before providing any type of medical consultation.
Dont’s
Patient’s personal information to not be disclosed or transferred without consent of the patient
Any doctor using teleconsultation via any electronic medium is required to not share or distribute the patient’s medical and health-related information. This is an ethical obligation that the doctors need to follow on the platform to protect patient’s privacy.
The law protects personal information and right to privacy and the same applies to the doctor’s offering online medical consultations. Without the prior written consent of the patient, no information can be transferred or disclosed by the medical practitioner.
Do not prescribe medication without adequate and relevant information
One of the key points of consideration issued, the guidelines place certain restrictions on prescribing medicines via teleconsultation.
Medical practitioners cannot prescribe medication without an appropriate diagnosis/provisional diagnosis. Medication can only be provided if the doctor has all the adequate and relevant information he/she needs about the patient’s medical condition.
Over-the-counter medicines, namely, paracetamol, O.R.S. solutions, lozenges etc. have the permission to be prescribed through telemedicine approach. For conditions which can only be diagnosed via video, doctors again cannot write down any type of medication.
Doctor should not deny emergency teleconsultation, but should not be provided remotely
Doctor’s are advised to assist but limit the assistance or consultation remotely. Unless it is the only way to offer medical care. Even then, such emergency teleconsultation should be limited to first aid, life-saving measures, counselling and advice on referral.
Telemedicine, if practised ethically and with all measures in place, is a progressive way to medical consultations. Whether to refill a prescription or to get other medical counselling, telemedicine could actually help save lives.
