Telehealth Services

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Notification of the provision of telehealth services - form (Icelandic)

Only those health service operators who have already received operation confirmation from the Directorate of Health may apply for permission to provide telehealth services. The provision of such services is prohibited until the Directorate of Health has confirmed that the operation meets professional requirements and other conditions of health legislation.

A notification of telehealth services must include information about the proposed services, including the rationale for providing telehealth services instead of on-site services, the intended patient group, how the services will be arranged, etc. Furthermore, how their access to the service ensures patient safety.

Suppose there are no precedents for using remote services within the relevant health sector. In that case, if available, it is necessary to submit information on research or evaluations supporting telehealth services within that sector.

It should be emphasised that the operation of health services, including remote health services, must meet minimum requirements, with reference to the Health Service Act, the Medical Director of Health and Public Health Act, the Regulation on the Medical Director of Health´s supervision of health services operations and minimum professional requirements and a Directive on information security in the provision of telehealth services, issued by the Medical Director of Health.

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Telehealth services refer to the use of information- and telecommunication technology to provide services without the patient and the healthcare practitioner being in the same place. Telehealth service is a fast-growing part of general health care, in Iceland as well as elsewhere.

The opportunities inherent in telehealth services are great but basically, it brings the healthcare system closer to the patient. This can save the healthcare system and the patient both cost and time, as well as reduce the burden on health institutions.

As with traditional healthcare, it is essential that the public have access to secure telehealth services and that communication between an individual and healthcare practitioners is secure.

To ensure the safety of those who use telehealth services, the Directorate of Health has published instructions that apply to health institutions and healthcare practitioners who intend to provide telehealth services (Icelandic). This is necessary and reflects the same requirements that are generally made for communication between healthcare professionals and patients, that is, that maximum security is observed when recording, processing, and storing data that often contain sensitive personal information. It is also the hope of the Directorate of Health that the instructions will be used by companies that develop solutions for the provision of telehealth services, in securely designing their solutions and making it easier to ensure that their solutions meet the requirements of the Act on Data Protection and the Processing of Personal Data.