A Review of Telemedicine Practice Guidelines for COVID-19 and Global Emergencies

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the palliative care and clinical medicine narrative to reduce exposure, maintain social distancing, and mitigate in-person consultation risks. Telemedicine during such times has emerged as a critical technology to bring medical care to patients while attempting to reduce the virus transmission. The telemedicine practice remains highly unregulated, raising concerns about its implementation. In this article, we review the worldwide scenario of policy instruments on telemedicine and also discuss the recently published telemedicine guidelines in India in detail. The methodology adopted included data collection from primary sources—key expert interviews—and secondary sources—systematic literature review. It was observed that even though countries have included telemedicine in their national health strategy, its adoption and dissemination remain a challenge. There is a need for exhaustive telemedicine practice guidelines focusing on key parameters for convenient, accessible, and cost-effective care to patients.