Telemedicine: Benefits and Pitfalls

The concept of providing healthcare remotely for patients is not new. It is a part of everyday medical practice and complements the traditional face-to-face encounters between doctors and patients on a regular basis.

However, with the disruption of traditional healthcare delivery between 2020 and 2022 due to the COVID 19 pandemic telemedicine has become the focus as a method of healthcare delivery that could in some cases replace the traditional time-tested method of physical doctor patient encounters.

This paper aims to look at the advantages and disadvantages of telemedicine, in the provision of quality healthcare without compromising patient safety and guaranteeing good outcomes via a review of the literature.

This reviews the aspects of good practice that must be adhered to in the implementation of telemedicine.