Dr. Bursztajn's Consultation to the American Psychiatric Association
on Telemedicine
Privacy...
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The provision of an informed consent form to a patient or guardian
should not be considered to be a substitute for an informed consent
process.
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Care must be taken to insure that the patient is well aware that
telemedicine is still experimental as a clinical practice. In
addition to the risks attendant to well established clinical
practice clinical practices, it carries with it the risk of loss
such benefits as are attendant to the face to face patient -
physician healing relationship.
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Where telemedicine has been introduced as a means of lowering the
cost of clinical care and services provided to the patient, the
patient or guardian should be so informed.
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The patient or guardian should be informed of any financial incentives,
or potential conflicts of interest influencing the recommendation
that telemedicine be provided as an alternative to direct patient-physician
provision of services.
Medical Records...
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Information about the patient contained shall not be transferred
in case of MCO or institutional mergers without the patient or
guardian's explicit permission.