Regulations On Legal Protection For Doctors As Providers Of Telemedicine Services

Abstract

Although this technology promises wider access to healthcare services, its implementation in practice is often hampered by various legal and regulatory issues that have not yet been fully addressed. One of the main problems is the lack of specific regulations governing the practice of telemedicine. Consequently, protection for medical practice is urgently needed in this regard, as the lack of clear regulations governing the field could be detrimental to both doctors and patients. Legal protection for online and offline healthcare services is essentially the same; what distinguishes them is the context of the issues at hand. Ultimately, the legal protection in question is intended to safeguard both doctors and patients whilst they are receiving treatment. The research questions in this study are: What is the urgency of establishing legal protection for doctors as providers of telemedicine services? What is the concept of legal protection for doctors as providers of telemedicine services? The research method employed in this study is normative legal research; to complement the analysis, legal materials were required, including primary, secondary and tertiary sources. These legal materials were then analysed descriptively using legal interpretation methods to construct a legal argument as a conclusion, in the form of a prescription (stating what ought to be, whilst also serving as a recommendation). The research findings indicate that the urgency of establishing legal protection for doctors as providers of telemedicine services is of the utmost importance at this time, given that the medical profession is vulnerable to challenges regarding the provision of telemedicine services and that the legal regulation of telemedicine represents a new development in the field of healthcare. Health technologies such as telehealth and telemedicine have brought about significant transformation in the healthcare sector, offering a range of benefits that enhance the quality, efficiency and accessibility of healthcare services; it is therefore necessary for these to be regulated by law to ensure certainty regarding the provision of telehealth and telemedicine services. The concept of legal protection for doctors as providers of telemedicine services must be implemented systematically by applying the principle of legal certainty regarding healthcare services delivered via telemedicine, thereby providing legal protection for both doctors and patients