JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Ensuring security in telemedicine systems is crucial to the digital evolution of the healthcare industry. Telemedicine includes various forms such as teleconsultation, telehealth, and remote patient monitoring, all of which rely on digital platforms, secure communication networks, and internet-connected devices. Although telemedicine systems have made significant progress in adhering to information security standards and regulations, there is a lack of comprehensive studies that practically assess which aspects of information security these systems are effectively managing and which they are not in the Chilean context.

Objective:

This study aims to explore the levels of success when addressing security characterized by confidentiality, availability, and integrity in telemedicine systems in Chile.

Methods:

We examined the data gathered from a tool created to evaluate the quality of telemedicine systems in Chile. Over a span of six years, we assessed the success levels of 25 telemedicine systems and engaged in a thorough discussion on how these companies manage the information security sub-characteristics within their telemedicine systems.

Results:

The results described that cryptography plays a crucial role in maintaining confidentiality within telemedicine systems. Regarding availability, telemedicine systems consistently incorporate fault tolerance to ensure that medical services are not interrupted by system failures. The importance of data integrity varies among telemedicine companies; some prioritize it highly, while others do not view it as a significant attribute.

Conclusions:

This study offers a practical examination of the priorities and measures taken by telemedicine companies to tackle aspects related to information security, along with the compromises these companies face in maintaining security in their systems.