Telehealth has made medical care more accessible than ever, especially in long-term care facilities in Georgia and nationwide. However, remote visits come with risks. When doctors or nurses provide virtual care without meeting the same standards as in-person treatment, serious errors can happen. For patients in nursing homes or assisted living, those mistakes can lead to avoidable injuries or worse.

Why Virtual Providers Must Still Meet the Standard of Care

In Georgia, all licensed healthcare providers are held to the same medical standards, no matter how the care is delivered. A virtual visit doesn’t lower that responsibility. If a telehealth provider misses signs of infection, prescribes the wrong drug, or fails to follow up on serious symptoms, it could be grounds for a malpractice claim.

State law O.C.G.A. § 33-24-56.4 defines telemedicine as care delivered through real-time audio, video, or data, not emails or standard phone calls. Providers must be licensed in Georgia to treat patients located in the state. This means that even out-of-state doctors treating patients remotely must follow Georgia law.

Missed Diagnoses and Medication Errors in Long-Term Facilities

Long-term care residents often need close monitoring. However, with telehealth, some signs, including subtle changes in breathing, skin color, or mental status, can be missed. That’s why many virtual providers are expected to refer patients for in-person exams when things don’t seem right.

Common issues include:

  • Delays in escalating care after virtual visits
  • Inaccurate assessments due to a lack of physical exams
  • Incorrect prescriptions or failure to monitor drug side effects
  • Poor follow-up coordination with on-site staff

What It Takes to Prove a Telehealth Malpractice Case

Georgia law requires patients to prove that a provider failed to meet accepted medical standards and that failure caused harm. Filing a lawsuit also requires an expert witness to confirm the breach. Before suing, the patient or family must give 30 days written notice to the provider. The claim must be filed within two years of the injury or the date it was discovered.

At The Williams Litigation Group, we represent families in medical malpractice claims, including those involving telehealth care. If your loved one suffered an injury due to virtual provider negligence in a long-term facility, contact us.