key: cord-0710754-ornxcl8q
authors: Elmas, Ömer Faruk; Demirbaş, Abdullah; Atasoy, Mustafa; Türsen, Ümit; Lotti, Torello
title: Teledermatology during COVID 19 pandemic: ethical and legal considerations about the principles of treatment prescription and privacy
date: 2020-06-07
journal: Dermatol Ther
DOI: 10.1111/dth.13781
sha: 8b26a9e4f19177d4dcb84a753ca9af01aec459a7
doc_id: 710754
cord_uid: ornxcl8q

nan

To the editor; COVID-19 is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2), which was first reported on December 1, 2019, from Wuhan, China.1. The outbreak has been declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, and as of May 17, 2020, more than 4 million cases were identified worldwide and more than 300 thousand deaths occurred. 1 The health officials advised people to stay at home and avoid social contact to limit the transmission of the infection. Besides, due to shortages of medical staff, people have discouraged from applying to hospitals for non-emergency situations. Under these conditions, telemedicine offered great potential to access experts, reduce healthcare costs, and promote the quality of care. Dermatology is especially suitable for telemedicine as cutaneous conditions are unambiguously visible. 2 The widespread use of teledermatology throughout the COVID 19 pandemic has raised concerns regarding the ethical and legal implications of this care system. A major concern is data privacy. It is crucial that the maximum protection of patient's data must be guaranteed.

This guarantee must be provided not only by those who supply the equipment but also by all health professionals involved. The health care provider in charge should also pay attention when transferring the patient's data for a second opinion and in the data storage. Besides, This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

teledermatologist should have adequate technical knowledge to recognize how data transmitted by computerized media can provide a support for a reliable diagnosis. A data transfer system that meets technical standards and legal obligations must be used. Many authors point out the need for uniform guidelines for maximum security of data, similar to the General Data Protection Regulation in force in the European Union. 3, 4 Mobil messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Viber, and Telegram are common platforms Despite many documents, Europe lacks a set of rules on telemedicine and the approach to the system diversifies in countries. Many authors have underlined the need for unified legislation for teledermatology. 7 Malpractice is another concern when practicing teledermatology. Telemedicine introduces a new form of malpractice that have no difference with the malpractice when the patient being present. Many authors suggested that extended insurance coverage is needed in order to protect telemedicine providers 4 . Appropriate training of teledermatologist is strongly recommended to prevent ''telemalpractice''.

To conclude, practicing teledermatology throughout the COVID-19 pandemic may allow easy access to experts, prevent unnecessary long movements, expand the spectrum of available services, and ensure both patients' and dermatologists' safety. However, it should be kept in mind that the ethical and legal issues need to be addressed to protect both patients and teledermatologist.

World Health Organization, Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19

Teledermatology: A Review and Update

Legal aspects of teledermatology

Telemedicine Practice: Review of the Current Ethical and Legal Challenges

WhatsApp messenger as a teledermatology tool during coronavirus disease (COVID-19): from bedside to phone-side

Secure communication conduits during COVID19 lockdown

Medical and legal aspects of telemedicine in ophthalmology