Regulations covering medicine by phone face review
The regulations governing telemedicine are to be further strengthened following its increased use due to advances in information technology.
As the use of telemedicine keeps increasing, the authorities need to fine-tune the regulations, particularly in management criteria, implementation procedures, accountability, and routine supervision, said Li Dachuan, the medical treatment and nursing chief of the National Health and Family Planning Commission's Medical Administration Bureau, at a media conference on Thursday.
In a latest initiative, the commission has issued a regulation on advancing telemedicine by medical institutions "that demonstrates full recognition of its significance improving public access into limited while highly quality medical resources". However, the regulation stipulates that nonmedical institutions are not allowed to practice it, which has raised some criticism among pioneering practitioners.
