<p>Telemedicine is a new technology, and so it is important to incorporate prompts in clinical protocols to ensure its cost effectiveness and safe use. There is the risk that, without prompts, too many telemedical consultations may be requested and, conversely, too few. There is also the risk that the wrong sort of cases may end up having teleconsultations because generalists don’t recognise the risk in conditions about which they are unaware.</p>