Legislators from Chile discussed the new regulation on telemedicine care and its importance in bringing health services to remote areas.
The senators supported and authorized the use of telemedicine by service providers, so now they must wait for its approval. The project modifies the law of duties and rights of patients.
The modifications now establish that: “Any health provider, whether public or private; or any professional or worker who, for any reason, must serve the public or is linked to the granting of health care, may provide care through telemedicine, keeping records of these benefits, in the same terms as face-to-face care.
Rabindranath Quinteros, the president of the Health Commission of the Chilean Senate, explained that this initiative was born thanks to the pandemic, and the identification of the need to continue medical treatments during this time: “we realized that telemedicine is here to stay ”, he explained.
On the other hand, Senator Carmen Gloria Aravena recognized the importance of having specialists who solve immediate health problems in isolated areas, which could be solved through telemedicine.
“This project comes to satisfy an unavoidable need because it is necessary to validate a practice that began to occur in the pandemic. We introduced several indications after listening to various professionals in the hearings”, explained Senator Francisco Chahuán.
The senators also discussed incorporating new telemedicine equipment and including it in the 2022 budget.
