By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    An Expert’s Guide To Building and Improving Endurance
    June 30, 2022
    medical assistants
    What Do Medical Assistants Do On a Day to Day Basis?
    April 5, 2022
    superfoods to help with prostate health
    10 Healthy Foods That Can Help Protect Your Prostate
    August 29, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Handling HIPAA Rules In Sports: Why Athlete Privacy Matters
    April 18, 2016
    Bioterrorism: Pentagon Goes Back to the Drawing Board
    August 23, 2017
    Anavex Receives Approval to Commence Phase I Clinical Trial in Alzheimer’s Disease
    September 9, 2017
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: For Telehealth Patient Safety Needs, An Evolution in Policy
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > For Telehealth Patient Safety Needs, An Evolution in Policy
eHealthPolicy & Law

For Telehealth Patient Safety Needs, An Evolution in Policy

JosephKvedar
JosephKvedar
Share
7 Min Read
telehealth
SHARE

 

Editor’s note: For more on this topic, see the February issue of Health Affairs, which features a series of articles on connected health.

 

Editor’s note: For more on this topic, see the February issue of Health Affairs, which features a series of articles on connected health.

More Read

Telemedicine Reimbursement Enters the 2016 Presidential Campaign
An iPhone App for Medical Checklists?
Mid-Level Providers Trending Away from Primary Care?
Beyond The Buzz: The Latest Social Media Trends For Healthcare Marketing
Why a “Switzerland Approach” Might Become a Key Part of Wearable Health Platforms

telehealthThe nation’s ongoing battle to strike a delicate balance between increasing access to quality health care for all Americans and reducing overall health care spending just scored one of its most substantial victories.  In late April, after several months of thoughtful and robust collaboration, the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) ratified a new model national policy – the Appropriate Use of Telemedicine in the Practice of Medicine – at its annual meeting in Denver.  This marks the first time the medical community has unilaterally acknowledged the impact technology has had on the practice of medicine, and the ability telemedicine — or connected health — has to facilitate and improve the delivery of health care.

Let us first put this in perspective.  We all know health care is at a critical juncture.  The implementation of the Affordable Care Act means millions of newly eligible Americans will seek access to an already over-burdened health care system.  The nation faces a serious shortage of primary care providers, specialty care is becoming more diversified, and access to care in rural areas is an ongoing challenge.  All of these issues are on the rise.

Technology-enabled Care

Enter technology-enabled care. Real-time video encounters between patients and providers reverse the burden on patients to seek care in a hospital or doctor’s office by bringing health care directly to them, in their home.  At the same time, remote monitoring, sensors, mobile health and other technologies are helping to reduce hospital readmissions, and improving adherence to care plans and clinical outcomes, as well as patient satisfaction.  Connected health tools also support preventative care efforts for chronic care patients and can empower individuals to make positive lifestyle changes to improve their overall health and wellness.

Momentum for telehealth is accelerating at an undeniable rate.  As of March, twenty states and the District of Columbia have passed mandates for coverage of commercially provided telehealth services; 46 states offer some type of Medicaid reimbursement for services provided via telehealth.  A study by Deloitte predicts that this year alone, there will be 100 million eVisits globally, potentially saving over $5 billion when compared to the cost of face-to-face doctor visits.  This represents a growth of 400 percent in video-based virtual visits from 2012 levels, and the greatest usage is predicted to occur in North America, where there could be up to 75 million visits in 2014.  This would represent 25 percent of the addressable market.

Yet, there exists an inconsistent and often archaic patchwork of state laws that have inhibited the deployment of telehealth in both the private and public sectors.  As a result, both providers and patients are in a state of limbo, prompting such questions as: Can I, as a provider, deliver care while still being compliant in all 50 states?  Can I, as a patient, trust the care I receive via telehealth is safe and secure?  These uncertainties have created an unnecessary barrier to realizing the true promise of telehealth.

Model Policy For Telemedicine Technologies

The Federation of State Medical Boards recently took action by forming the State Medical Boards Appropriate Regulation of Telemedicine (SMART) Workgroup.  Through a thoughtful nearly year-long process which included a broad cross-section of stakeholders, the SMART Workgroup developed the “Model Policy for the Appropriate Use of Telemedicine Technologies in the Practice of Medicine.”  This insightful document provides states with clear definitions and principles they can look to for guidance when developing new policies that govern telehealth.

Among these principles are these key concepts:

  • Evaluation and Treatment of Patient.  Treatment delivered in an online setting should be held to the same standard of appropriate practice as those in traditional settings.
  • Establishing a Treatment Relationship Online.  A physician-patient relationship can be established using telemedicine, so long as the standard of care is met.
  • Online Prescribing Safeguards.  Prescribing in a telehealth encounter should be at the discretion of the physician.
  • Ensuring Privacy, Security, Documentation, and Continuity.  Telehealth encounters should be HIPAA compliant, include informed consent, the generation of a medical record, and support continuity of care.

I applaud the Federation, the SMART Workgroup, and their guidance.  Telehealth is happening; it’s becoming an accepted practice across the United States.  This Model Policy allows for regulatory certainty while encouraging future innovation by creating clear definitions and guidelines on how and when telehealth can be most effectively incorporated into quality patient care.

States must now take action and adopt these policies.  Failure to do so is not just inaction, it is irresponsible.  The use of connected health tools will increase, and with thoughtful, modernized policy, providers and patients can be assured that technology-enabled care will be safe, secure and uphold a standard of quality care consistent with care delivered in person.  The Federation has done its work as national leaders, and now it is time for state leaders to do their part to advance health care delivery in every state throughout the country.

This post first appeared in Health Affairs:

Joseph Kvedar, For Telehealth Patient Safety Insists Upon An Evolution In Policy, Health Affairs Blog, May 29th 2014, http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2014/05/29/for-telehealth-patient-safety-insists-upon-an-evolution-in-policy/
Copyright ©2010 Health Affairs by Project HOPE – The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

telehealth / shutterstock

TAGGED:telehealth
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025
physiotherapist at work
How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
Health care
August 20, 2025
Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs
7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
Health News
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

BusinessHealth ReformPolicy & Law

Health Wonk Review: Mud Season Edition

March 16, 2014

Complex Disease Management: What’s Next for mHealth?

June 7, 2012

Dog Versus Treadmill: No Contest

March 16, 2011
common foot pain problems shutterstock image
NewsPublic HealthWellness

Common Foot Problems and How You Can Solve Them

June 30, 2017
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?