Telemedicine in daily practice: Addressing legal challenges while waiting for an EU regulatory framework

Telemedicine is revolutionising conventional healthcare thanks to countless technological devices that allow patients to remotely access a huge range of care services. In the coming years, the spread of telemedicine will arguably redesign the geography of EU healthcare, with main repercussions on the organisation of the Member States’ health systems and the extent of health protection in the EU. Given the current lack of an EU regulatory framework for telemedicine, this analysis aims to explore the most relevant acts issued in the field of (conventional) healthcare in order to assess their suitability for telemedicine services. In the conclusion, the need for an adequate regulatory framework of telemedicine in the EU will be discussed, in order to sustain its spread in daily practice and to guide patients and healthcare professionals towards a safe use of these innovative services.