Ethical and Legal Aspects of Telemedicine

ETHICAL AND LEGAL ASPECTS OF KEY ISSUES IN TELEMEDICINE

The fact that Telemedicine can be practiced on any continent in the world given the recent technological advancement raises many issues The bs that this practice is able to bypass as well as the liability which it is able to evade is argued by some to encourage unreliable diagnoses as well as turn the medical practice institution into an even bigger business ' than it already is . This section will therefore seek to shed light on this issue by highlighting key aspects of the

practice of telemedicine and present the different arguments and views on this issue

ETHICS IN TELEMEDICINE

In 1997 , the Finnish Medical Association drafted and approved guidelines for the Ethical Standards in Telemedicine . The basic ethical standard that was imposed was that The principles of medical ethics which are binding upon the profession shall also be followed in the practice of telemedicine ' The problem however does not lie in the establishment of guidelines . As held by one writer , The real problem lies in the enforcement of such guidelines within the limitations imposed by the law on the freedom of communication over the internet The problem therefore lies in being able to properly penalize the offenders of these standards despite the limitations set by laws on privacy as well as geographical considerations

Consent Issues

Informed consent requires that the doctor reasonably disclose to patients available treatment choices along with material risks and benefits of each . This consent also has to consider many different factors primarily the competence of the doctor since the patient will most likely consider the advice of the doctor with respect to the competence that the patient thinks the doctor exhibits or possesses This informed consent issue is particularly relevant in case of operations or surgeries to...