The new rules for the practice of telemedicine in Brazil were repealed this week (06/03) and published in the Official Gazette.
According to the regulations, telemedicine is once again meeting the standards required by the rules of the year 2002, which states that telemedicine can be used only for health care, education and research .
The Federal Council of Medicine (CFM) had already published about a new regulation that allowed the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of patients with the use of technologies, on February 27 of this year.
However, after 12 days, due to protests from doctors and health organizations, the agency itself announced the revocation of the decision.
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What has changed?
Despite having some similar rules, such as the rule that defines the exchange of patient information only with the person’s authorization, the resolutions have some differences.
Before, in the 2002 Resolution, the use of technological resources could only be used for research or health promotion, enabling medical assistance, but without carrying out treatments or consultations at a distance, for example.
In order to facilitate and promote access to health, especially in areas of difficult access, the publication made at the beginning of the year allowed consultations to be carried out through the internet.
But, due to the manifestations of doctors and health professionals, the terms of permission are back to the same as before, only for health promotion, disease and injury prevention.
Main features of the 2002 resolution
One of the main points of the 2002 resolution is the development of new techniques to optimize the exchange of information. For this, the focus is to connect doctors and even patients, provided that in the presence of specialists, from different places to exchange information.
It is up to the doctor to recommend or not the use of telemedicine for the patient being treated, but this decision should always be in the patient’s benefit.
In addition, health professionals who practice medicine at a distance should carefully evaluate the information they receive and only give opinions and recommendations, without making a diagnosis.
But, if the information provided by the patient closely follows the symptoms of a disease, then the professional can make decisions in his area, referring and guiding the patient.
You can still change
CRM made it clear in the revocation that this series of principles and rules that must be respected is fully expressed in the 2002 regulations.
But the agency also said it was open to new suggestions from doctors and health organizations, who asked for more time to calmly review the document to submit possible changes.
The purpose of telemedicine is to provide instruments that facilitate the field of action of doctors, and guarantee patients health services mediated by technology of the same quality.
