A legal analysis of the cross border trade in telemedicine: The Singapore perspective

Abstract

This thesis looks at the legal issues surrounding the international trade in telemedicine. It considers the international agreement recently negotiated by the world community to facilitate the liberalisation of services trade. It also looks at the major obstacles to the trade in telemedicine that exist in the form of domestic licensure requirements and the selection of the jurisdiction and appropriate law in international tort disputes. This thesis recommends that the patient's state should maintain regulatory control over matters of licensure and choice of law disputes involving telemedical negligence. Such an approach promotes the clarity and certainty in the law that is necessary for the development of telemedicine on a wide commercial scale. Changes to Singapore's current laws are also suggested as a way to foster the trade in telemedicine as a key component of its strategy to become a regional health care hub.