Medicolegal and Ethical Considerations in Telemedicine: Survey of Physicians’ Knowledge, Attitude and Practice, Cairo

Abstract

Abstract Background Telemedicine has been utilized by healthcare providers for many years, but its widespread implementation did not occur until the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As telemedicine has grown, the related legal and ethical issues have emerged and the concerns about its regulation is increasing. Objective The study aimed to assess physicians’ knowledge, attitude and practice regarding telemedicine use and its legal and ethical considerations. Methods An online self-administered structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The respondents were 434 physicians working in different governorates in Egypt. Results Most of the participants reported using telemedicine for consulting a colleague from another specialty (93.8%, 407) or the same specialty (89.4%, 388); medical education (81.1%, 352) and management of the patients (73%, 317). Knowledge and attitude scores of participants working in university hospitals were significantly greater than that for other participants. About 57% of the respondents (142 physicians) reported incidence of complications related to using telemedicine, and patient’s inability to describe his condition was reported as the most common cause of complications (97%, 244). Conclusion Participants’ knowledge about ethical and legal considerations related to telemedicine was sufficient. Although most of them agreed with the advantages of telemedicine, they have negative attitudes toward its use in patients’ management.