The Central Deontology Commission of the General Council of Official Medical Colleges (Cgcom) has produced a report that includes ethical and ethical considerations in relation to telemedicine in the medical act.
The situation that has generated the Covid-19 pandemic It was unthinkable until recently and unknown to everyone. Due to this, many doubts have been raised about what happened and how to give responses that are responsible and timely as well as responsible.
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The Covid-19 has forced to rethink the exercise of Medicine itself, not only in clinical-healthcare settings |
In the medical-health field, the Covid-19 has forced to rethink the exercise of Medicine itself, not only in clinical-healthcare settings, but also in the form of communication between healthcare professionals themselves and between them and patients. This situation has promoted telemedicine as a technological and organizational alternative that allows us to care for our patients under certain conditions, facilitate their access to the health system or favor the safety of the patient and the rest of the population, as has happened during the pandemic.
Given the permanent evolution of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) that enable new forms of interaction, both social and professional, e-consultation, from videoconference, telecare, telephony or other means, are tools of extraordinary value that with proper and appropriate use in each case and situation, they can be of help to patients by reduce visits to hospitals and health centers, provide close care, dispense with avoidable transfers, especially for the most vulnerable, or reduce risks for patients and companions.
Hence the need has arisen, and always under the deontological principles that govern the doctor-patient relationship, to launch e-consultations when advisable and possible. At this time, the most frequent will continue to be the telephone call with or without videoconference.
This text prepared by the CGCOM Central Commission of Ethics collects the objectives of the e-consultation, among which it is important to take advantage of the technical and decisive advantages that offer the Information and Communication Technologies (TICs) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as to avoid risks and unnecessary displacement to patients.
Trying that patients have the possibility and feel connected to their doctors in case of need and favor the doctor’s response to doubts, revisions or changes in the health status of patients, is another of the priority objectives of telemedicine.
Therefore, it stands out, it is relevant to always consider the benefit / risk ratio of any decision, weighing the benefit with the lowest risk for health and patients in the same or similar way, which undoubtedly will strengthen the doctor-patient relationship.
Procedure to follow
It is also an ethical requirement to adapt clinical activity, taking full advantage of the options and opportunities offered by ICTs and AI, which not only have a dizzying dynamism, but the current health status caused by the pandemic forces to use it to the maximum.
Another of the objectives described in this report focuses on reaching consensus from the medical profession, what should and should not be done. The technological development and especially of ICTs and the social standardization of their uses and applications require updating the ethical standards in force in 2011 and even those included in the current draft in the process of approval by the General Assembly that affected them.
The use of telemedicine caused by the current health crisis can help to reflect whether in later periods, with less pressure, a greater and prudent use of telemedicine reports benefits in the adjusted use of resources (material and human), releasing part of them. to make the system sustainable and improve distributive justice ”.
Finally, the report (attached) offers a series of conclusions focused on different areas such as e-consultations and the doctor-patient relationship; medical management and telemedicine; consent, privacy and confidentiality and finally, telemedicine and physician obligations.
Although it may contain statements, data or notes from healthcare institutions or professionals, the information contained in Medical Writing is edited and prepared by journalists. We recommend the reader that any questions related to health be consulted with a professional in the health field.
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