Unverified medical certifications surge amid telemedicine guideline ambiguities

Telemedicine technology plays a crucial role in addressing healthcare challenges, particularly in countries like India, by mitigating physician shortages, reducing patient burden and costs, and aiding in disease prevention. The term telemedicine, meaning "healing at a distance," was coined in 1970 [1]. It encompasses the use of electronic, communication, and information technologies to deliver healthcare services remotely. To regulate telemedicine practice, the Government of India released telemedicine guidelines on March 25, 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic [2]. The National Medical Commission (NMC) added the Telemedicine Practice Guidelines as Appendix-5 to the Professional Conduct (Etiquette and Ethics) Regulation 2002 of the erstwhile Medical Council of India (MCI) [3]. Additionally, on June 11, 2020, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) recognised teleconsultation services for insurance claims [4], which led to a surge in telemedicine consultations and the proliferation of various apps and service providers.