Completed: Webinar, 23 June 2020

• Live 1-hour webinar
• Interactive with real-time audience polling
• Addressed the impact of online consultations on the practice of medicine
• Explored the clinical and medicolegal issues facing doctors in this rapidly changing field
• Q&A with the panellists
• CME accreditation : available, see below
• Keywords: #medicolegal ; #telemedicine ; #LMCHK

Moderator, Dr Marcus Marcet, Licentiate Society President, was joined by panellists, Dr Bernard Murphy, Partner at Howse Williams Solicitors, Dr Rob Hendry, Head of Medical Services (Asia), MPS, and Prof Albert Lee, Clinical Professor in Public Health and Primary Care of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Honorary Consultant in Family Medicine.

Bernard is a dual qualified medical doctor and solicitor and has been a partner in the medicolegal team of Howse Williams since 2012. Bernard advises healthcare professionals in a wide range of medicolegal issues, including clinical negligence claims and professional disciplinary proceedings before the Medical Council, Dental Council and Physiotherapists Board.

Robert graduated in Medicine in 1981 and joined MPS in 2009 to set up their Edinburgh Office. In 2013 he became Medical Director, responsible for medicolegal services delivered by MPS to its members worldwide. Robert is a Foundation Fellow of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine.

Albert qualified as a medical doctor from the University of London (UCL-Middlesex) in 1984 and holds higher professional and academic qualifications in Family Medicine and Public Health. Albert has an LLB degree (2015) and an LLM in Arbitration and Dispute Resolution. He has acted as an expert medical witness for Medical Council disciplinary proceedings, civil litigation and criminal proceedings.  He is a Fellow of the American College and Australasian College of Legal Medicine and Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an accredited mediator.  He is an Executive Committee member of the Journal of Medicine and Law.

This event aimed to enhance medical practioners' knowledge of the medicolegal aspects of non-face-to-face communications and raise their awareness so that doctors can more safely approach such interactions with patients.

Upon completion of the activity, participants were able to: better understand the unique features of non-face-to-face communications between medical practitioners, patients and their family members, recognise important medicolegal implications, and improve their confidence in navigating such communications.

During the webinar, Dr Murphy, Dr Hendry, and Prof Lee considered the relevant provisions of the Medical Council of Hong Kong Code of Professional Conduct and relevant statutory provisions in addressing the following areas:

• Selection/suitability of patients for online consultations 
• Ensuring good communication
• Keeping medical records
• Security and patient confidentiality
• Online consultations with patients in other jurisdictions
• Prescribing medicines following online consultations

As of the date the event took place (23 June 2020), the following colleges confirmed CME accreditation points:

• Hong Kong College of Anaesthesiologists
• Hong Kong College of Community Medicine
• Hong Kong College of Emergency Medicine
• Hong Kong College of Family Physicians
• Hong Kong College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
• College of Ophthalmologists of Hong Kong
• Hong Kong College of Otorhinolaryngologists
• Hong Kong College of Pathologists
• Hong Kong College of Physicians
• Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists
• Hong Kong College of Radiologists
• College of Surgeons of Hong Kong
• Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (MCHK CME)