Telemedicine

The Employed Physicians Statutory Law regulates the work and services of physicians and surgeons in Honduras. Its objectives are: a) To protect, enhance the status of, and train duly licensed physicians; b) To increase the efficiency of the work performed by physicians; c) To establish fair income and salary standards for employed physicians; d) To guarantee job stability for employed physicians; e) To regulate working hours, shifts, and mandatory breaks in order to ensure efficiency in the medical profession; f) To guarantee a fair distribution of their assignments; g) To guarantee adequate working conditions in accordance with the standards established between the Honduran Medical Board and employing institutions; and h) To ensure compliance with national and international agreements in order to promote sources of employment. It also establishes the requirements for practicing medicine, namely: Obtain a Doctor of Medicine degree issued or recognized by the National Autonomous University of Honduras, be registered with the Honduran Medical Board, not have any restrictions or disciplinary actions limiting professional practice, not be in arrears with the Honduran Medical Board, not have any infectious diseases, pass the licensing examination, and fulfill any other requirements established in the internal regulations of the employing entity. We note that there are no express provisions on telemedicine and/or practicing medicine using information and communication technologies.

Code of Ethics of the Honduran Medical Board: Among the Code's obligations, Article 14 regulates patient confidentiality, defining it as follows: “Patient confidentiality is understood as the act of protecting information that, as a result of the professional practice, the physician becomes aware of in the doctor-patient relationship and its context, either because the patient shared the information, or because the physician observed or deduced it. This information should not be shared except with the prior consent of the patient, because of potential harm to the patient or third parties." However, Article 15 of the Code states that physicians may disclose the information of patients under their care when "they are unable to evaluate and solve the problem by their own means, or when remaining silent may cause harm to the patient, third parties, or society.” With regard to the use of information systems, it establishes that “when medical informatics systems are used, they must not compromise patients’ right to privacy without their consent” (Article 18).