Telemedicine and COVID 19 Spectacular growth thanks to waivers ; Télémédecine et COVID 19 Une croissance spectaculaire grâce aux dérogations

International audience ; Telemedicine is a medical procedure that puts a patient in contact with a doctor or a health professional at a distance through an exchange of digital data. It is a clinical medical activity governed by strict regulations that must be distinguished from e-health, which offers health and well-being services distributed according to the rules of digital commerce. Telemedicine challenges the traditional principles of medical ethics, but the Ordre des médecins considers that new technologies facilitate access to care and specialized expertise. During the Covid-19 epidemic, remote medicine emerged as a complementary practice for accessing medical care. The fear of transmission of the virus and the context of confinement favored remote consultations. During the state of health emergency, the conditions for implementing telemedicine were relaxed and the national health insurance facilitated its reimbursement. These exemptions have largely contributed to the development of telemedicine, which was previously limited. Health professionals, health care institutions and patients have been able to appreciate the new possibilities offered by telemedicine and have recognized their limits. At the end of the derogation periods, the National health insurance continues to extend the reimbursement modalities while returning to conditions of practice that protect patients' rights. ; La télémédecine met en contact à distance un patient avec un médecin ou un professionnel de santé qui échangent des données numérisées. C’est une activité médicale clinique encadrée par une réglementation stricte qui doit être distinguée de la e-santé qui propose des prestations de santé et de bien-être distribuées selon les règles du commerce numérique. La télémédecine bouscule les principes traditionnels de la déontologie médicale, mais l’Ordre des médecins considère que les nouvelles technologies facilitent l’accès aux soins et à l’expertise spécialisée. Pendant l’épidémie de Covid-19, la médecine à distance est apparue comme ...