People in Jamaica who use telemedicine can now be more confident that they are receiving quality services.

The Jamaican Standard Specification for Telemedicine (JS 359:2022), which was released by the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ), offers the framework for the safe practise of telemedicine while protecting the integrity of the medical profession.

Taking into account the significance of securing patient information, the standard enables registered medical and other health and allied practitioners to use telemedicine tools in their regular practise.

Telemedicine, which is defined as the provision of health and medical services by a designated practitioner from a distance, makes use of information and communications technology (ICT) technologies for disease prevention, research, diagnosis, and treatment, as well as health education and counselling.

These services might be offered in Jamaica through video, phone, and Internet-based channels such web chat, digital programmes, and web portals.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic started several years ago, telemedicine visits have grown in popularity, necessitating the development of established procedures to govern the industry.

In his speech at the recent virtual launch of JS 359:2022, State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Dr. Norman Dunn, praised the BSJ and its partners for developing, reviewing, and adopting standards for this area of medical care in response to the demands of a changing global environment.