Telemedicine also helps keep medical costs lower. “The convenience and affordability of telemedicine services contribute to increased productivity and reduced absenteeism in the workplace, as well as positive employee morale and less burnout,” Dr. Roga added.

According to Dr. Peterson, other financial benefits include reduced length of patient stay, more accurate care, fewer patient complications, and a competitive advantage in the local market.

Risks, Liabilities, and Other Concerns

As with any medical service, the risk of malpractice always exists. But Linkous said studies have indicated that telemedicine poses no greater risks than employing on-site providers.² “In some ways, you’re better covered because most services are digitized and available for review,” he said.

Telemedicine is regulated by several entities including the US Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and state health codes and medical boards. “Telemedicine providers must have appropriate licensure to ensure that they are practicing within their scope of regulating entities, as well as have the appropriate medical liability coverage and protections,” Dr. Roga said. “Additionally, privacy standards are governed by HIPAA.”

Despite its benefits, however, sometimes the “remote” factor can pose challenges for either party. They may include:

• Low comfort level. Not every provider feels comfortable asking for and receiving assistance. “As a telemedicine provider, the risk of feeling like ‘Big Brother’ is quite high,” Dr. Kosiak said. “If your direction isn’t taken, it could lead to real-time conflict.”
• Lack of dedicated staff. If a facility is not willing to dedicate staff to care for patients treated with telemedicine or makes them a lower priority, the system won’t provide maximum benefit.
• Inability to physically intervene. When directing from a distance, telemedicine providers can’t physically step in. “It’s best to have a detailed plan before proceeding,” Dr. Kosiak said. “You need to be good at talking through multiple steps of patient care.”

Mitigating Risks

When choosing a telemedicine provider, legal advisers recommend that health care providers negotiate vendor responsibility in their contracts, motivating them to offer a high level of performance, Dr. Hildebrand said.

In order to protect patient information,health care institutions should verify the security of a telemedicine vendor’s systems and operations. Be wary of unencrypted communication platforms, such as Skype or Google Talk, which do not allow for providers to protect against breaches.