The medical act in the era of telemedicine

Abstract

Telemedicine partially resolved inequalities in access to health care, especially in geographical areas with a low number of doctors and in places with absent or insufficient specialists. Currently, Chile has a National Telehealth Program, but there are no specific laws on digital medicine that recognize remote medical acts and it is uncertain if they really are medical acts. The goal of a medical act is the well-being of a patient, requiring a therapeutic alliance based on the doctor's knowledge of the needs, expectations and fears of such a patient. This article tries to determine if patient care by telemedicine can be considered a medical act. For this purpose, the conception of a medical act defined by P. Laín Entralgo, M. Besio and the main medical and professional associations is analyzed in depth. It is concluded that although direct physical contact between doctor and patient largely supports the therapeutic alliance, telemedicine has been successful, particularly in its synchronous modality. Taking the necessary precautions, in most cases distant medical acts can be carried out allowing a humanized and respectful care of people.