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Abstract

The ubiquity of telemedicine worldwide makes it hard to imagine a time without it. While global iterations of remote healthcare services began decades ago, telemedicine as a phenomenon has existed in Jamaica since at least the late 1990s. Still, its use and uptake were inconsistent and sporadic for a multitude of reasons, one of which was the strong preference for in-person healthcare services. However, as the last few years have demonstrated, the expansion of medicinal practice beyond the confines of the examination room can prove immensely valuable, not only during times of crises, but in the everyday practice of medicine. Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted both provider and patient perspectives, catalysing the utility of telemedicine. With telemedicine services gaining popularity, it reaffirmed a commitment to a ‘right to health’ for all in Jamaica.

In early 2022, in response to the thriving demand for telemedicine services, the government of Jamaica developed a legal framework to address the use of telemedicine to expand the scope of medical practice. While the value of telemedicine may extend to all countries, there is a paucity of research and analysis that centres on the Caribbean experience which could prove instructive to the technological evaluation and implementation processes associated with the practice of telemedicine. It is laudable that Jamaica is the first Caribbean country to have drafted legal standards governing the practice of telemedicine; this is noteworthy and deserving of being part of the discourse. As such, this paper aims to advance the understanding of the utility of telemedicine in the Caribbean by describing and analysing the current legal and regulatory framework for telemedicine in Jamaica. It does so by contemplating both the legal and ethical challenges in the practice of telemedicine in Jamaica and the broader Caribbean region.

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