NMC says doctors may digitally authenticate medical records remotely

The National Medical Commission has said registered doctors may review electronic medical records remotely and authenticate them using recognised digital or electronic signatures. Its Ethics and Medical Registration Board found no bar on this under the NMC Act, 2019, its regulations or the 2020 Telemedicine Practice Guidelines. Covered documents include lab, pathology and radiology reports, diagnostic interpretations and discharge summaries. The notice states that authentication cannot be routine or mechanical.

Other coverage says the October 13 notice, signed by NMC Secretary Dr Raghav Langer, requires doctors to judge records independently and bars sharing of their credentials. It does not grant doctors any new right to practise beyond existing permissions. The move follows a recommendation by a high-level committee on non-financial regulatory reforms to enable digital signatures under the IT Act, 2000.