Understanding bodily injury in eHealth

Understanding bodily injury in eHealth

Technology is fundamentally changing the way healthcare is delivered, monitored, and addressed. And telemedicine - or the remote delivery of healthcare services - is one of the fastest-growing and most obvious examples of this shift. While the use of technology can deliver great benefits to patients, it also creates new exposures for both traditional and digital healthcare organizations. And questions around medical responsibility in the event of bodily injury or harm to a patient are still being debated. What is clear is that traditional bodily injury coverage triggers have become outdated and are no longer sufficient due to the global rise of technology within healthcare.

Here is how our policy addresses each of these unique exposures:

Cyber-attack

A targeted ransomware attack could deny access to systems and patient data, where patients’ vitals are being monitored and medications prescribed via telemedicine. If a cyber-attack cripples the telemedicine system or electronic medical records database, meaning patients could be unable to receive repeat prescriptions leading to injury or even death, the policy will trigger.

Healthcare services

Failure to adequately assess a patient and their symptoms via telemedicine could lead to incorrect diagnosis and delayed treatments. Similarly, if a patient is sending a picture of a physical issue such as a rash, a distorted image could lead to an incorrect diagnosis. If a patient suffers misdiagnosis, delayed, or incorrect treatment as a result of healthcare services provided through remote means, the policy will trigger.

Technology activities

Artificial intelligence is now being used to more effectively triage patient conditions, most commonly diagnosing basic illnesses via a chatbot function, however, the way in which a patient describes their symptoms can leave them confused or undiagnosed. If a patient suffers misdiagnosis or goes undiagnosed via a chatbot, the policy will trigger.

System outage

A failed update or computer system outage could affect remote patient monitoring functions, this could pose a risk to patient’s safety in the event of a medical emergency. If a system failure leaves you unable to diagnose or treat a patient, the policy will trigger.

To find out more about telemedicine, click here.