standards of work; discipline and/or fitness to practise. The policy are to be reviewed with the 12 professional boards. Regulation of individual doctors who provide telemedicine services The Council has stated that all telemedicine services should involve a healthcare provider where there is an actual face-to-face consultation and physical examination of the patient in a clinical setting. The consulting practitioner will communicate the information to the servicing practitioner, who will then provide the necessary assistance. The ethical guidance includes: Competence, registration and authorisation: practitioner must be licenced in South Africa. Healthcare practitioner-patient relationship: formally, the location of telemedicine service is the patient’s location. Assumption of primary responsibility: the consulting practitioner is ultimately responsible for treatment. The servicing practitioner must keep the medical record. Evaluation and treatment of patient: prescription based only an on online questionnaire is not allowed. Professional duties: obtain informed consent of the patient specifically for use of telemedicine; verify the locations of the consulting and servicing practitioners; verify patient’s identity. Cross-jurisdiction issues in telemedicine In the case of telemedicine across country borders, practitioners serving South African patients should be registered with the regulating bodies in their original states as well as with the HPCSA.
standards of work; discipline and/or fitness to practise. The policy are to be reviewed with the 12 professional boards. Regulation of individual doctors who provide telemedicine services The Council has stated that all telemedicine services should involve a healthcare provider where there is an actual face-to-face consultation and physical examination of the patient in a clinical setting. The consulting practitioner will communicate the information to the servicing practitioner, who will then provide the necessary assistance. The ethical guidance includes: Competence, registration and authorisation: practitioner must be licenced in South Africa. Healthcare practitioner-patient relationship: formally, the location of telemedicine service is the patient’s location. Assumption of primary responsibility: the consulting practitioner is ultimately responsible for treatment. The servicing practitioner must keep the medical record. Evaluation and treatment of patient: prescription based only an on online questionnaire is not allowed. Professional duties: obtain informed consent of the patient specifically for use of telemedicine; verify the locations of the consulting and servicing practitioners; verify patient’s identity. Cross-jurisdiction issues in telemedicine In the case of telemedicine across country borders, practitioners serving South African patients should be registered with the regulating bodies in their original states as well as with the HPCSA.
Regulatory_approaches_to_telemedicine.docx_73978543.docx