Providing healthcare services through telemedicine creates a unique set of challenges for healthcare organizations, including acquiring new technology and ensuring the quality of telemedicine services, according to ECRI (www.ecri.org), a nonprofit healthcare research institute.
Facilities that use telemedicine must have a mechanism to identify errors in transmission and to verify the appropriateness of radiology images that are transmitted, ECRI's risk management analysts say in a new 16-page report. The report includes recommendations on issues such as requirements for credentialing and privileging for telemedicine providers, informed consent, and liability issues arising out of the physician-patient relationship.
Safeguarding the integrity, security, and privacy of healthcare information that is transmitted and stored electronically is another important aspect of providing telemedicine services that facilities must consider, according to the report.
ECRI’s Healthcare Risk Control (HRC) System is a comprehensive resource that addresses many risk exposures for risk managers and patient safety officers involved in all areas of healthcare, from hospitals and health systems to managed care organizations and integrated delivery systems.


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