The Global Telehealth Hub is the global observatory of regulation and bioethics in telehealth. Its founding project presents findings from doctoral research in Bioethics dedicated to the global mapping of telemedicine regulation, with special regard to equity. The Hub is designed to grow: future research on telehealth regulation and bioethics will be incorporated as new modules.
Scope
The study covers all 194 WHO Member States, organized by the six WHO regions (African, Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, European, South-East Asia, Western Pacific) and stratified by World Bank income classification.
Method
This is a mixed methods study — a document analysis guided by the READ framework (ready the materials, extract data, analyze data, distill findings). For each country, official regulatory sources in force — laws, decrees, resolutions of medical councils and health ministries — were identified through a structured web-based search with no language restrictions. Two researchers independently extracted and coded the material using a predefined codebook, scoring ten standardized questions covering the existence and definition of telemedicine norms, personal data protection, informed consent, patient information on limits of the modality, prior in-person consultation requirements, monitoring mechanisms, professional training, the principle of justice, and guarantees for reducing access barriers. Quantitative frequencies were combined with a qualitative thematic analysis of the instruments included.
Equity lens
Beyond documenting whether regulation exists, the observatory asks whether regulatory frameworks actively address digital inclusion, accommodations for minors and persons with disabilities, and the bioethical principle of justice — dimensions where global disparities are most pronounced.
Data status
This is a living dataset, updated as new regulations are issued and as the research progresses. Observations quoted in country profiles reference the primary sources identified at the time of data collection.
Contact
Rosamaria Gomes — doctoral researcher in Bioethics at Porto University, Portugal.
For inquiries, collaborations, or corrections: contato@rosamariagomes.com.br