Legal ethical and risk issues in telemedicine

This paper summarizes the main topics of discussion at a workshop hosted by the Centre for Law Ethics and Risk in Telemedicine at the 2nd International Conference on Advances in the Delivery of Care, held at the Institute of Health Sciences, City University, London from Wednesday 24 to Friday 26 March 1999. The workshop offered a unique opportunity for practitioners in the fields of telemedicine and shared care to discuss the legal, ethical and risk issues arising from the practice of medicine and healthcare from a distance using information and communication technologies ('ICTs') with a panel of experts from the fields of medicine, law, insurance and risk management. There was a broad consensus that many of the legal and ethical issues raised by those who dislike the idea of treating distant patients were not specific to telemedicine but to medicine and healthcare in general. It was agreed, however, that in those areas where telemedicine does create new clinical risks and responsibilities a much more proactive role should be taken by the professional associations and Royal Colleges in providing better education and guidance to their members about the practical and professional issues that will inevitably arise from the evolution of 'Hospitals Without Walls'.