Team-based telemedicine in the criminal justice system as an approach to equitable healthcare access?

Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz. 2025 Nov 7. doi: 10.1007/s00103-025-04155-w. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Video consultations enable guideline-based and continuous medical care under the structurally challenging conditions of correctional facilities. This article presents the model of team-based telemedicine using concrete fields of application such as tele-general medicine, telepsychiatry, tele-substitution therapy, and teledermatology. Special attention is given to technical requirements, quality assurance measures, and the challenges and opportunities in correctional healthcare delivery. The approaches described are based on the experiences of the "Videoclinic" in more than 120 correctional institutions. In addition, the results of an initial empirical analysis of telemedicine routine care data (January 2023 to March 2025) and a satisfaction survey of medical and nursing staff (March 12 to 9 April 2024) are presented, which provide insights into the realities of healthcare delivery, the disease spectrum of inmates, and indications regarding the effectiveness and acceptance of telemedicine care in correctional settings.

PMID:41203915 | DOI:10.1007/s00103-025-04155-w