Enhancing Quality of Healthcare and Patient Safety: Oversight of Physician Assistants, Nurses, and Pharmacists in Era of COVID-19 and Beyond

Abstract

In the age of digitization, telemedicine services are utilized more than ever, and this trend affects healthcare as well. Although the utilization of technology serves as a benefit in allowing more access to care, COVID-19 has identified some of the weaknesses and discrepancies of the system. The increase in usage of technology has shed light on and increased the severity of the gaps in the regulatory and legal infrastructure overseeing this rapid growth. We aim to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the telemedicine healthcare system, as well as address the frequent misconduct that occurs between patients and their nurses, pharmacists, and physician assistants, in order to highlight the necessity of a standardized method of reporting misconduct on an international, national, state, county, and local level. Our findings should alert the healthcare community of the growing urgency to address the policy and regulatory aspects of telemedicine to provide greater quality and safety during the post-COVID era.