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The Telemedicine Practice Guidelines (TPG) released in 2020 provide legal framework for registered medical practitioners (RMPs) to consult with patients deploying Information and Communication Technology. Necessary compliance requirements have also been included. This article analyses the effectiveness of the ‘Train to Practice’ course designed by the Telemedicine Society of India to train doctors in India to follow ethical and safe standards of practice of telemedicine. The online course was taught by a faculty of 18 members, over a period of 6 months using four modules. The course comprised of a pre-course assessment, live lectures, and a post-course assessment to ascertain the level of preparedness and knowledge imparted to the RMPs by way of the course. The article highlights that the RMPs had a preliminary understanding of the concept of telemedicine prior to the course. Post-course assessment indicated improvement in knowledge levels. Pre- and post-course assessments were conducted using multiple choice Yes or No response-based questionnaires. Participating RMPs exhibited a real drive to understand the legalities and operational procedures of the practice of telemedicine as was evidenced by queries posed to the lecturers. While the course was rated generously by all the attendee RMPs, there were also evidences of a lack of seriousness from certain RMPs who did not have to pay for participating in the course. The researchers have also suggested that the presence of a TPG qualification paper online and the swift introduction of TPG aligned courses in medical schools would streamline implementation challenges in the future. The researchers have also recommended the amendment of the TPG and the Medical Council of India (MCI) Code of Ethics Regulations, 2002, to provide better protection to RMPs from possible litigation occurring during telemedicine practice.

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Background: Scarcity of primary care is felt most in underserved communities. Telemedicine (TM)-enabled clinics bridge the gap in such scenarios. There was a need to understand how the same TM model would work in different settings. Aim: The aim was to study outcomes in three identical TM-enabled clinics in different geographies so as to understand how to scale up clinics in future. Setting: Three totally different sites were chosen: a rural village with low socioeconomic status, a rurban (rural-urban) prosperous village, and an urban slum. The clinics planned was identical. The process of establishment, training, recruitment and treatment guidelines were the same. Any deviation was noted. Methodology: Data were gathered through public health survey, interactions with villagers and local leaders, medical examination of individuals, feedback from patients, and household survey to understand the socioeconomic status of the community. Main outcome measures: The article attempted to study how different social, cultural, and economic settings affected the outcome of identical TM clinics. Results: TM, though accepted in different settings, was not sufficient to meet the healthcare needs of the community. These needs were related to the social and economic characteristics. Public health initiatives along with TM were most beneficial. In the underserved areas, infrastructure posed challenges to implementing TM, and ‘Last Mile Care Delivery’ was essential to create the full impact of TM. Conclusion: TM-enabled clinics along with last mile care delivery are the key to improve healthcare in underserved communities. Further research into customized TM models for different geographies would help in providing the best care. Limitations of the study: The study period was 4 months. The study was in one state of India, so the applicability of the findings to other states/countries may vary.