Telehealth’s state-by-state regulatory patchwork means that healthcare providers must navigate a variety of regulations that govern which types of care can be provided by virtual means, and even what modalities can be used in different care settings. McDermott’s recent 50-state survey explores the standard and requirements that physicians and nurse practitioners must follow when prescribing non-controlled substances or ordering tests via a telemedicine encounter. Key issues addressed in the survey include:
- In what states are asynchronous solutions permitted?
- What are state rules governing prescriptions when a physician-patient relationship does not exist prior to the telehealth encounter?
- What are state rules on prescribing via audio-visual encounters or audio-only encounters?
- Under what state regulations can a questionnaire be sufficient to create a physician-patient or advance practice registered nurse-patient relationship?
