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KMID : 0986720150230010039
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Korean Journal of Medicine and Law
2015 Volume.23 No. 1 p.39 ~ p.67
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Direction towards the Settlement and Vitalization of Cybermedicine System : Focus on the United States Scheme
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Nam Yoon-Sam
Kim Hang-Jung
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Abstract
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Many physicians toady use the more Internet to easily communicate with their patients and even provide medical consultations. This type of service is commonly known as Cybermedicine and this trend is expected to continue increasing. Some experts argue that it is not easy and still difficult to exactly define what the Cybermedicine is and how to describe it in detail. But some people think that Telemedicine is a broader concept than Cybermedicine and is considered as e-Health. However, other experts state that Cybermedicine is a broader term than Telemedicine because Cybermedicine typically encompasses over the range of medical services as Telemedicine provides now. Currently, the latest definition is accepted more generally in its practical usages.
Due to the development of technology, with the simple click of a mouse, patients are able to communicate with physicians about their illness. Physicians can then make a diagnosis and, in certain circumstances, refill a prescription online. Cybermedicine has many benefits compared with onventional medicine. For example, the Internet can expand the range of the practice medicine by providing an efficient delivery method to facilitate communications between health care providers for laboratory results, to refill prescriptions, to reschedule appointments, and to provide health care information and classify medical advice.
However, Cybermedicine has drawbacks because there is no uniform law regarding the legality of online medical consultations. Each state has varying medical regulations that govern differently. This range of different standards requires physicians to obtain and maintain one or more licensures to comply with each state’s regulations. Another big legal obstacle facing Cybermedicine is reimbursement issues. Medicare and Medicaid reimburse for Telemedicine services in only limited situations, and it is still unclear whether Cybermedicine will be reimbursed in the future. Additionally, only a few private insurers are willing to offer reimbursement for Cybermedicine.
This article will introduce the definition of Cybermedicine first then briefly mention similar concepts such as e-Health and Telemedicine. Thereafter, it will carefully overview physician liability issues involved with participation in Cybermedicine.
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KEYWORD
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Cybermedicine, Doctor-Patient Relationship, Internet Prescription, Online Consultation, Physician Liability, Telemedicine
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Listed journal information
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