I am concerned that the existing legal structures we have are inapplicable to the business models appearing on the World Wide Web, and thereby are not able to play their role in ensuring the quality of health care. Terry, a pioneer in teaching cyberspace law, also teaches health care law at Saint Louis University's Center for Health Law Studies. That, in part, has led to the explosion of health care on the Web. In real space, there usually is an obvious distinction between the doctor's office, the pharmacy and the drug manufacturer. A cybermedicine site may blur those lines, leaving customers and government officials confused.
Jurisdictional issues abound.
Regulatory agencies are unsure who is supposed to be overseeing cybermedicine activity, much less which state's or country's rules providers should be following. Many current rules regulating the health care industry do not apply to cybermedicine, and government bodies have been slow to develop new ones. The courts may have difficulty sorting out the cases. Others have concerns as well. Bogus information on the Web is another dilemma.