Telemedicine Practice Guidelines 2023

Telemedicine Practice Guidelines 2023
Telemedicine is the delivery of healthcare services from a distance, by use of information and communication technology. There have been no statutory regulations or official guidelines in India specific for telemedicine practice and allied matters till 2020. For the first time, the government of India released telemedicine practice guidelines for Registered Medical Practitioners on March 25, 2020, amid the COVID‐19 outbreak. After three years now the second edition of Telemedicine Practice Guidelines have been released on 2023 under the regulations of NMC Act 2019
The Telemedicine Guidelines 2023 permit Doctors to provide teleconsultation for prescribing medicines, providing counseling, and imparting health education. A doctor may use any digital mode (text/audio/video) for patient consultation, e.g. telephone, mobile or landline phones, chat platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc., other mobile apps or internet-based digital platforms for telemedicine or data transmission systems like Skype/ email/ fax, etc. Telemedicine Practice Guidelines do not ban social media for consultation. This was a strategic move by the Indian government to reach the last person in a remote village to provide care. The user-friendly ecosystem and widespread use of social media have necessitated this move to reach the public at large.
The guidelines are with a restricted scope for providing medical consultation to patients, excluding other aspects of telemedicine such as research and evaluation and the continuing education of healthcare workers. The guidelines have elaborated on the eligibility for practicing Telemedicine in India, the modes and types of teleconsultations, delved into the doctor‐patient relationship, consent, and management protocols, and touched upon the data security and privacy aspects of Teleconsultation. The decision to manage the specific condition in teleconsultation or otherwise is left to the professional judgment of the RMP. Conversely, if a patient prefers in‐person consultation over teleconsultation, the same cannot be forced upon him. The guidelines take a balanced approach in managing the patient preferences and professional caliber of the RMP. Thus, it provides for shared decision making between the patient and the healthcare provider in terms of utilizing the services. All records of the patient consultation shall be maintained similar to the in‐person consultation similar to previous guidelines of 2020. The concept of informed consent has been included as an essential element in teleconsultation. Implicit or implied consent is taken if the patient initiates the teleconsultation. An explicit consent in words understood by the patient must be obtained if the RMP initiates the consultation, and the same must be mentioned in patient records.
The guideline spells the responsibility of the platforms that facilitate telemedicine to ensure the authenticity and credentials of the RMP enlisted to provide the teleconsultation in their platform. Any violation of the norms by the firms may lead to their blacklisting. The technology platforms are supposed to appoint a grievance officer, as mentioned under the IT Act. Though the present guidelines released in India for telemedicine are comprehensive and facilitator in nature.
There are no major changes between 2020 and 2023 guidelines. There are few changes made in the 2023 guideline, which are discussed in this video.

[@AclTutorials]

Sir, If pt is under teleconsultation, is it necessary to see pt in person every six months or so ?

[@mansoorsk9480]

Very informative video sir ,
I have an doubt, if a RMP wants to do telemedicine under any of telemedicine plot form service providers , do RMP's needs to go under the program of CPD ?
If yes , where it has to be taken, please provide full details regarding sir .

[@ramyavb6673]

Thank you so much Sir

[@SureshBadaMath]

Welcome

[@priyamdwivedi3171]

If Government of India register number.... How we know his address or authority for complain

[@ragupathyp3251]

Will TH-cam / TH-cam videos consider as a platform or source for teleconsultation in India. Why i'm asking this question is me and one of my friend having a discussion about learning the telemedication / teleconsultation for educational purpose. Clarify

[@hussains00]

One more query sir
Once a patient is seen in India and he went abroad . Can I continue treatment over video call

[@SureshBadaMath]

Legally speaking it is not possible but in the new regulations nothing prohibits the doctor to do it
No straight forward answer

[@hussains00]

Sir
Is it possible for the RMP to see patient who is not in India ??

[@anshubhattacharya1138]

No,sir already told in this video.

[@drvishnupriyaarun]

Very useful one sir🙏🙏Can I start my own teleconsultation platform as an individual doctor for providing sick,fitness, WFH, caretaker, adoption, driving license fitness certificates.. should I register somewhere for the same even if I have my own medical registration or I can just start a website and start doing it?

[@SureshBadaMath]

From NMC Act 2019 only requirement is you need to be RMP and need to undergo training
But you may need other legal requirements such as companies act/society act, trust act, clinical establishment act, IT act and DPDP Act 2023 and other requirements
Every State has its own health related laws. Please contact a lawyer

[@drvishnupriyaarun]

@@SureshBadaMath Sure sir.Thank you so much

[@mohamedibrahim-iq9od]

Sir how to enroll and start primary care psychiatry diploma?

[@anilsavaliya2115]

how to take CPD training? from where ?

[@SureshBadaMath]

At present this regulation is kept in abeyance
However, the training will be done by respective professional associations for their members

[@anilsavaliya2115]

@@SureshBadaMath Thank you sir

[@mohamedibrahim-iq9od]

How to join primary care psychiatry diploma?

[@SureshBadaMath]

This is only approved for Government Doctors working in District Mental Health Program. Application to be routed through Health and Family Welfare Department
For more information check - nda.nimhans.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/DIPLOMA-IN-PRIMARY-CARE-PSYCHIATRY-FOR-DOCTORSDPCP.pdf

[@mohamedibrahim-iq9od]

Iam an internal medicine specialist can I join primary care psychiatry diploma?

[@SureshBadaMath]

Yes

[@mohamedibrahim-iq9od]

How sir I can start and enroll?

[@mohamedibrahim-iq9od]

@@SureshBadaMathhow I can join?