Telemedicine is now a permanent fixture in Georgia’s healthcare system. Whether it’s a routine consultation, a mental health session or a post-op check-in, more providers are meeting patients through screens than in exam rooms.
But this convenience brings with it a new set of risks — many of which remain invisible until serious harm has already occurred.
If a virtual visit leads to injury, you may find yourself navigating a medical malpractice claim that looks and functions very differently from a traditional one.
The standard of care does not disappear online
Under Georgia law, a provider must uphold the same standard of care, regardless of whether they see you in person or online. A virtual format doesn’t lower that threshold.
If your doctor misdiagnoses a condition, fails to order necessary tests or overlooks symptoms that should have raised concern, you can still pursue legal action. The delivery method changes, but the legal duty remains the same.
Common failures in virtual care settings
A screen limits what a provider can see, hear and assess in real time. Without a physical exam, warning signs often slip through the cracks. You’re also expected to self-report symptoms with greater clarity — describing pain, showing injuries through a camera or recalling details that a provider might have otherwise detected on their own.
This shift in diagnostic responsibility can ultimately disadvantage you, especially if the provider skips key questions, dismisses concerns or rushes through the visit.
Delayed diagnoses and poorly managed conditions remain two of the most common reasons telemedicine leads to malpractice claims in Georgia.
What it takes to prove telemedicine malpractice
When healthcare happens online, the process of building a case shifts. Instead of relying on physical charts or in-person testimony, you’ll likely need to reference video recordings, chat logs, platform timestamps or electronic visit summaries.
These records can work in your favor — but only if you or your attorney access them early. Providers may fail to document key observations or omit follow-up instructions entirely. If you don’t request your records or track the communication trail, critical details may disappear.
Still, the question at the heart of every malpractice case stays the same: Did the provider act as a reasonably competent professional would under the circumstances? If not, Georgia law gives you the right to take action.
You still have rights, even behind a screen
Telemedicine doesn’t create a legal loophole. If a provider’s decision during a virtual visit caused you harm, you’re not stuck. However, remote care introduces new challenges, both medically and legally, that make it harder to spot what went wrong.
If something feels off or unresolved after a telemedicine appointment, don’t wait for it to escalate. The sooner you begin piecing things together, the easier it becomes to evaluate your options and assert your rights.
Virtual doesn’t mean vague. You deserve clarity, and Georgia law still protects your ability to demand it.