Introducing telemedicine – legal аnd other challenges

Technological developments and progress enabled different changes in the health system. One of them is the application of telemedicine, or so-called „healing at distance. “This way of providing health services enables multiple benefits, such as regular monitoring of patients without the neces- sity to physically go to a clinic, which consequently saves time and financial expenses for transport, contact with patients located in remote areas, contact with specialists in other cities, with doctors from abroad. Besides the benefits, this way of providing health services also opens different ques- tions related to the protection of patients’ data, privacy, the relationship between patients and doctors, etc. Introducing telemedicine is a challenging process that necessitates multisectoral co-operation. Along with the required technical equipment, financial support, education of healthcare providers and users, one of the prerequisites for the application of remote treatment is the establishment of a strategic framework, the adoption of appropriate regulations, or amendment of existing ones. That process could be challenging for countries. This research aims at perceiving the level of application of telemedicine globally and within the European Union, identifying challenges and obstacles to wider implementation, especially in the context of the adoption of appropriate legislation, and analyzing the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic on the application of telemedicine. One part of the paper is dedicated to the possibilities of implementation of telemedicine in the Republic of Serbia, identifying obstacles to its application, and further changes that have to be made in order to allow its introduc- tion and implementation in practice