Background
India's Telemedicine Practice Guidelines, issued in 2020 as part of the Indian Medical Council regulations, set out how registered medical practitioners may consult patients remotely. They cover identification, consent, the types of consultation allowed, and what may be prescribed. This is a practical summary; read the full guidelines and check for updates with your medical council.
Key Principles
- Practitioner identification: the doctor must display name and registration number to the patient.
- Patient identification: the doctor must be reasonably satisfied of the patient's identity.
- Consent: explicit patient consent for a teleconsultation should be recorded. It can be implied when the patient initiates the contact.
- Mode flexibility: consultations may be by video, audio or text; video is preferred where examination cues matter.
- Professional judgement: the doctor decides whether a condition can be managed remotely or needs an in-person visit.
- Prescribing: a specified list governs which categories of medicines may be prescribed by telemedicine; certain restricted drugs are excluded.
- Records: maintain notes, prescriptions and consent as you would for an in-person visit.
What the Software Must Provide
- A consultation screen that shows the doctor's name and registration number to the patient.
- Consent capture with timestamp, stored on the patient record.
- A structured note and an e-prescription that carries the doctor's identifiers and digital signature.
- Configurable prescribing rules that flag or block excluded drug categories in a tele-visit.
- Secure, encrypted communication and access-controlled storage.
- An audit trail of the consultation, consent, and prescription.
Practical Setup
Configure your prescription templates so tele-visits default to permitted categories. Add a consent step to the join flow. Keep the consultation record identical in structure to your in-person notes, so audits are straightforward.