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Telemedicine providers under fire for unethically short consultations
Singapore Business Review|Issue 110
One provider had its license suspended for doing 1-minute consultations.
Telemedicine providers under fire for unethically short consultations

Singapore should mandate a five-minute minimum for first-time telemedicine consultations after patient safety and care were put in the spotlight with the possible revocation of a local clinic's licence due to unethical practice.

Shin Thant Aung, director at management consulting firm YCP's Thailand office, said five minutes aligns with the average length of face-to-face consultations and should be enough for an accurate diagnosis.

For second or third-time consultations via telemedicine, the minimum duration could go down to three minutes, he added.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) In 2024 said it would revoke the licence of MaNaDr Clinic Pte Ltd for failing to provide outpatient medical services in a clinically and ethically appropriate manner. The agency probed the clinic for its short teleconsultations, with some lasting less than a minute.

It also said it would refer 41 doctors who conducted teleconsultations for MaNaDr to the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) for possible professional misconduct.

Issuing medical certificates

Beyond the issue of consultation duration, Shin said the MaNaDr case exposed flaws in the issuance of medical certificates by telemedicine providers, adding that there should be “very strict control” over it.

This story is from the Issue 110 edition of Singapore Business Review.

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This story is from the Issue 110 edition of Singapore Business Review.

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