THE LEGAL AND ETHICAL ASPECTS OF TELEMEDICINE - 4 - PRODUCT LIABILITYAND JURISDICTIONAL PROBLEMS

The use of telemedicine brings with it the risk that the human factor- the teleconsultant-will fail to reach the standard of care that the la w requires of medical professionals. It also brings the risk that the telemedical equipment or system will fail at a crucial moment. Such ri sks, of course, are inherent in many aspects of medical care but in te lemedicine, at the interface between communications technology and hea lth care, one must consider not only who is liable for failure, but un der which country's laws will that liability be determined. This final review article describes the challenges facing manufacturers and thei r customers in providing safe, properly endorsed telemedicine systems. The problem of which country's laws should apply to a cross-border te leconsultation is also reviewed.