Telemedicine solutions have gone through a paradigm shift in the wake of the global pandemic. The explosive growth of telehealth solutions in the shortest span of time has also enabled CMS to roll out several guidelines and protocols in terms of practicing telemedicine. Though telemedicine platforms have the huge potential to deliver safe and secure care during these tough times, care providers need to ensure that patient data security and privacy policies are intact at all times.

Telemedicine platform policies and procedures need to address these concerns: Licensure, Patient-Physician collaboration, pre, during and post-surgical care coordination, consent of the patient, patient medical data privacy and security, functionalities of virtual care and Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) services, prescription of drugs and medication adherence. This blog encapsulates the essence of the key telemedicine platform guidelines adopted from the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the American Telemedicine Association (ATA).

Telemedicine Software Platform Licensure

It is critical that the patient’s residency area is verified. For most of the medical boards, it is a prerequisite that the Physician is licensed in the state where the patient lives. This rule may vary with different states.

Establishing Patient-Physician Relationship

It is essential that a clear patient-physician relationship is established. For this, the telemedicine solution experts recommend the following guidelines:

• Verify the patient’s location identity
• Provide your certifications and license credentials to the patients
• Have the consent forms prepared and obtain the required consent from patients wherever applicable

Evaluation and Treatment

The telehealth program practice standards are same as the traditional medicine and hence, care providers need to ensure that the consultation and the medications are well documented for future reference as well as better collaboration and patient access.

Informed Consent

Patient informed consent varies with states, and care providers need to ensure that they follow the state specific regulations in terms of offering telehealth programs. Some states require that you get the patient consent for certain telehealth software technologies including video conferencing and text messaging.

Telemedicine Platform Follow-up Care

Follow-up care is essential for every telemedicine program. That’s why Physicians adopt digital care coordination solutions to deliver cohesive care that elevates Patient Experiences (PX) and accelerates outcomes. Digital documentation is a necessity in terms of consulting, care plans and prescribed medications.

Emergency Care Referrals

Care providers need to establish referral information in case of patient requiring referral to an acute care facility. The care provider needs to document the referral details and adhere to the written protocols applicable for the telemedicine platform services

Medical Records

Patient Medical records should have all the relevant patient details made available on the telehealth platform. Critical information including medical imaging, lab test results, historic medical records, treatments and therapies, digital prescriptions, medications, evaluations and informed consent need to be added to the chart.

Patient Data Privacy and Security

Data privacy and security is critical in a sensitive industry like healthcare, and Physicians need to ensure that all the medical data are encrypted with strong protection at all times. Confidentiality of patient data and compliance with (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) HIPAA, Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH), state laws and other regulations need to be followed at any cost

Prescriptions

Medications prescribed through telehealth software platforms need to strictly adhere to the Physician state board laws. Care providers also need to be aware of the availability of the prescribed medicines in the geographic location of the patient.

Final Thoughts

Telemedicine implementation involves extensive steps and complex processes prior to the setup. Physicians need to ensure that they follow the latest updated protocols issued by the Centers for Medicaid & Medicaid Services (CMS) and other governing bodies. Hospitals and Practices also need to use the right CPT codes to prevent claim denials, while ensuring faster and better reimbursements.