Consent Requirement in Telemedicine

• American Telemedicine Association (ATA) Practice Guidelines for Live, On Demand Primary
and Urgent Care (2014), consent required:
a. Participation in Telemedicine consultation
b. Recording (e.g. training and quality purposes)
c. Participation of others (e.g. facilitators, students) during the consultation
d. By law (e.g. consent from parent/legal representative is required for adolescent with
behavioral/mental issues)
e. Release of information (referring patient to other practitioner)
• Singapore National Telemedicine Guideline (2015): Item 1.6 Informed Consent
• Ontario (Canada) Telemedicine Network Guideline (2017): Informed Consent
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Consent in Trial Virtual Clinic®BPKK

Source: Slide no.2 Risalah Virtual Clinic, June 2016

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Content of Consent in Telemedicine
• Purpose of Telemedicine consultation
• Benefits, limitation and risks (including technology risks)
• Role and responsibility of the provider and the patient during the Telemedicine
interaction
• Other people participating in the interaction (& patient’s right to terminate the
consultation, to ask the person to leave or omit certain information)
• Care documentation requirements
• Choice to decline to participate in the Telemedicine interaction
• Charges involved (if relevant)
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Content of Consent in Trial Virtual
Clinic®BPKK
About

Roles & responsibility?

Participation of others

Care of documentation

Limitations & risks

Choice to decline

Legal implication? – suggest

to remove 4
Recommendation
• Process versus legal requirement – most likely process Risk
identification

• Risk management is important

• Types of risk: Monitor &
control
Risk Risk
assessment
Management
a. Risk related to patient care – education & training, patient
recruitment, select low risk cases
b. Technology risk – seek expert advice e.g. MAMPU
Action

• Monitoring & control

• Consent Examples:
http://hub.americantelemed.org/thesource/resources/
telemedicine-forms
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Thank you
drazhariah@moh.gov.my