Abstracts
Abstract
Virtual care (VC), a novel method of healthcare delivery, allows patients to stay home or at their preferred location and use personal internet-enabled devices to video-conference with their healthcare provider. VC is becoming ubiquitous across the US and Canada, particularly in response to COVID-19. In this paper, we discuss the benefits and limitations of VC and explore how it may align with or detract from the four principles of bioethics through case studies. Overall, we argue that it allows for greater accessibility, availability, and affordability of healthcare. However, certain clinical scenarios may not be suitable for VC, particularly when a thorough physical examination is required. While it may not always be clear when to use digital health technologies, it is prudent to have an honest and open conversation with the patient when offering this option.
Keywords:
- virtual care,
- telemedicine,
- bioethics,
- ethics,
- covid-19,
- digital health
Résumé
Les soins virtuels, une méthode émergente d’offre de soins de santé, permet aux patients de rester dans le confort de leur maison pour une visite avec leur médecin. Les patients peuvent ainsi rencontrer leur médecin en visioconférence, à travers leur propre téléphone intelligent, appareil portable ou tablette. Les soins virtuels sont devenus omniprésents aux États-Unis et au Canada, en particulier en réponse à la COVID-19. Dans ce commentaire, nous discutons des avantages et des limites des soins virtuels et explorons comment ceux-ci peuvent s’aligner avec ou enfreindre certains principes de bioéthique à travers des études de cas. Ainsi, nous soutenons que les soins virtuels permettent une plus grande accessibilité et disponibilité des soins de santé. Cependant, certains scénarios cliniques peuvent ne pas convenir aux soins virtuels, en particulier lorsqu’un examen physique approfondi est nécessaire. Bien qu’il ne soit pas toujours clair quand utiliser les technologies virtuelles en santé, il est prudent d’avoir une conversation honnête et ouverte avec le patient lorsque l’on offre cette option.
Mots-clés :
- soins virtuels,
- télémédecine,
- bioéthique,
- éthique,
- covid-19,
- santé numérique
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Appendices
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