Brief History of Telemedicine
The American Telemedicine Association defines telemedicine as, “the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve a patient’s clinical health status.” However, the definition differs according to the source and varies from state to state. While the terms telemedicine and telehealth have definitions that differ somewhat depending on the source, the two terms are used interchangeably.
Telemedicine can be used in several types of healthcare settings and can be utilized in areas such as patient care, training, research, and public health (Breen & Matusitz, 2010). It is particularly valuable for providing treatment of populations in remote locations. The use …show more content…
With the advent of telemedicine, the issue of licensure has become more complex. The American Medical Association (AMA) has defined a doctor-patient relationship as one in which “a doctor establishes a medical relationship with his patient during an “in-person” evaluation of the patient where the doctor was physically able to “touch” the patient” (Telehealth Legal and Regulatory Module, n.d.).
The AMA and the Federation of State Medical Boards have had to adjust the interpretation of this definition to fit into the context of telemedicine. Since there is no physical contact during a telemedicine encounter, healthcare providers need to ensure that they are licensed or registered in the state in which the electronic interaction occurs according to the regulations of that particular state. There are certain exceptions to state licensing requirements such as physician-to-physician consultations, educational purposes, residential training, Border States (adjoining states), the U.S. Military, public health services, and medical emergencies (Telehealth Legal and Regulatory Module, n.d.). According to Telehealth Resource Centers, there are also options that provide “cross-state licensure agreements” meaning that “one state recognizes the license of another …show more content…
The guidelines set forth in the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act regarding patient privacy, confidentiality, and data security are required to be adhered to as well. Organizations such as the American Medical Association, the American Telemedicine Association, and the Federation of State Medical Boards have suggested “best practice guidelines for safe use of telehealth” (Telehealth Policy Trends and Considerations [White Paper],
The American Telemedicine Association defines telemedicine as, “the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve a patient’s clinical health status.” However, the definition differs according to the source and varies from state to state. While the terms telemedicine and telehealth have definitions that differ somewhat depending on the source, the two terms are used interchangeably.
Telemedicine can be used in several types of healthcare settings and can be utilized in areas such as patient care, training, research, and public health (Breen & Matusitz, 2010). It is particularly valuable for providing treatment of populations in remote locations. The use …show more content…
With the advent of telemedicine, the issue of licensure has become more complex. The American Medical Association (AMA) has defined a doctor-patient relationship as one in which “a doctor establishes a medical relationship with his patient during an “in-person” evaluation of the patient where the doctor was physically able to “touch” the patient” (Telehealth Legal and Regulatory Module, n.d.).
The AMA and the Federation of State Medical Boards have had to adjust the interpretation of this definition to fit into the context of telemedicine. Since there is no physical contact during a telemedicine encounter, healthcare providers need to ensure that they are licensed or registered in the state in which the electronic interaction occurs according to the regulations of that particular state. There are certain exceptions to state licensing requirements such as physician-to-physician consultations, educational purposes, residential training, Border States (adjoining states), the U.S. Military, public health services, and medical emergencies (Telehealth Legal and Regulatory Module, n.d.). According to Telehealth Resource Centers, there are also options that provide “cross-state licensure agreements” meaning that “one state recognizes the license of another …show more content…
The guidelines set forth in the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act regarding patient privacy, confidentiality, and data security are required to be adhered to as well. Organizations such as the American Medical Association, the American Telemedicine Association, and the Federation of State Medical Boards have suggested “best practice guidelines for safe use of telehealth” (Telehealth Policy Trends and Considerations [White Paper],