FVE Position Paper on Telemedicine in Veterinary Medicine
The availability and demand for veterinary telemedicine services continue to grow. Benefits of telemedicine can include more affordable services, convenience and practicality, less distress for the animal, improved access to specialist care, and more efficient triage. Possible barriers comprise the increased risk of medical error, fraud, miscommunication, and lower standards of practice.
The Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) veterinary statutory bodies working group has defined veterinary telemedicine as the exchange and use of animals’ health information through technological platforms between a veterinarian and a recipient (client, veterinarian, or other health professionals) in the context of a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR).
FVE has prepared a position paper that defines the various forms of telemedicine and sets out recommendations for the profession. The paper also presents the four pillars of telemedicine: remote consulting, remote diagnosis, remote prescribing, and third-party generated medical data. FVE recommends its members to allow the use of telemedicine in the context of a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) by setting up standard operating procedures, codes of conduct, and proportionate regulation.
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