Open AccessInitial drafting of telemedicine’s code of ethics through a stakeholders’ participatory process
Author(s) -
Hamid Shafizadeh,
Bagher Larijani,
Rita Mojtahedzadeh,
Ehsan Shamsi Gooshki,
Saharnaz Nedjat
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of medical ethics and history of medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.376
H-Index - 14
ISSN - 2008-0387
DOI - 10.18502/jmehm.v14i24.8184
Subject(s) - telemedicine , ethical code , medical ethics , citizen journalism , medicine , health care , ethical issues , medical education , engineering ethics , political science , computer science , engineering , world wide web , law , psychiatry
Telemedicine can improve access to healthcare services; however, it has raised ethical concerns demanding special considerations. This study aimed at developing the codes of ethics for telemedicine, and hence several approved national and international ethical guidelines related to telemedicine practice were reviewed, and 48 semi-structured interviews were conducted with medical ethics and medical informatics experts as well as with physicians and patients who had telemedicine experiences. Content analysis was then performed on the interviews’ transcripts and a draft on code of ethics was prepared, which was further reviewed by the experts in the focus group meetings to reach a consensus on the final document. The final document consisted of a preface, five considerations, and 25 ethical statements. Considering the growing trend of adopting telemedicine worldwide, this document provides an ethical framework for those who use telemedicine in their medical practice.