Initial drafting of telemedicine’s code of ethics through a stakeholders’ participatory process

Hamid Shafizadeh; Bagher Larijani; Rita Mojtahedzadeh; Ehsan  Shamsi Gooshki; Saharnaz Nedjat

doi:10.18502/jmehm.v14i24.8184

Hamid Shafizadeh PhD Candidate of Medical Ethics, Department of Medical Ethics, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Bagher Larijani Professor, Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Rita Mojtahedzadeh Associate Professor, Department of E-Learning in Medical Education, Virtual School, Center of Excellence for e-Learning in Medical Education, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Ehsan Shamsi Gooshki Associate Professor, Medical Ethics and History of Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Medical Ethics, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Saharnaz Nedjat Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jmehm.v14i24.8184

Keywords: Code of ethics; Telemedicine; Health services; Iran.

Abstract

Telemedicine can improve access to healthcare services; however, it has raised ethical concerns demanding special considerations. This study aimed at developing the codes of ethics for telemedicine, and hence several approved national and international ethical guidelines related to telemedicine practice were reviewed, and 48 semi-structured interviews were conducted with medical ethics and medical informatics experts as well as with physicians and patients who had telemedicine experiences. Content analysis was then performed on the interviews’ transcripts and a draft on code of ethics was prepared, which was further reviewed by the experts in the focus group meetings to reach a consensus on the final document. The final document consisted of a preface, five considerations, and 25 ethical statements. Considering the growing trend of adopting telemedicine worldwide, this document provides an ethical framework for those who use telemedicine in their medical practice.