Types of Digital Interaction in Telemedicine?

Answer 1

Based on the above example, we can broadly classify digital interaction under 2 categories:

Live/Real-time Interaction – This includes synchronous communication methods such as videoconferencing and chat, where both the patient and medical practitioner are online and communicating at the same time. Cybersecurity concerns include electronic eavesdropping, disruption through Zoom bombing (or similar attacks on other platforms), and impersonation (identify theft and communication hijacking) Asynchronous Interaction – This includes email communication, file upload/download, and examination of scans and test results before a consultation, where the patient and medical practitioner communicate at different times. Cybersecurity concerns include maintaining the security and accessibility of stored data and securing data in transit Telemedicine need not be limited to direct treatment of a patient. It can include other hospital activities such as education of the general public through digital channels which can also occur in real time (e.g., Zoom group call) or be asynchronous (e.g., YouTube video) with corresponding cyber risk.

It should be noted that hybrid interaction is also prevalent e.g., remote monitoring of a patient can be done in real time and recorded data from remote monitoring can be analysed later for a diagnosis.

While the cybersecurity concerns in telemedicine may seem daunting, they can be anticipated and countered by following cybersecurity best practices.