Telemedical record documentation: A preliminary survey

Abstract

Telemedical records are the weak link in telemedicine. With a number of medicolegal and reimbursement issues still unresolved, telemedical record documentation will be a critical piece of the puzzle when the patient's original legal medical record must be produced. A questionnaire was distributed to active telemedicine programmes in the USA to determine how interactive teleconsultations were being documented. Forty programmes completed the questionnaire. The responses indicated a lack of consistency and a need for documentation guidelines for telemedical records.