Abstract
This study conducted a scan of telehealth occupational therapy and physical therapy state laws and regulations. The laws and regulations were analyzed to determine the potential effect they could have on occupational therapists’ and physical therapists’ utilization of telehealth. The results indicate that the majority of occupational therapy and physical therapy boards are silent on telehealth. A handful of physical therapy laws and regulations address “consultation by means of telecommunication,” but do not provide any guidance for practitioners seeking to provide direct telehealth-delivered services to patients. Of the few states that do provide guidance, policy had the potential to provide clarity or inhibit adoption. The findings suggest that as state boards consider crafting telehealth regulations, they should do so in a manner that facilitates, rather than hampers adoption, while upholding their providers to a high standard of care.
Highlights
This study conducted a scan of telehealth occupational therapy and physical therapy state laws and regulations
The majority of states lack telehealth laws and regulations that apply to occupational therapists (OTs) and/or physical therapists (PTs)
The results indicate that the majority of state occupational therapy and physical therapy regulatory boards are silent on telehealth-related issues
Summary
This study conducted a scan of telehealth occupational therapy and physical therapy state laws and regulations. The findings suggest that as state boards consider crafting telehealth regulations, they should do so in a manner that facilitates, rather than hampers adoption, while upholding their providers to a high standard of care. In an effort to determine how occupational therapy and physical therapy boards are addressing telehealth, the researchers conducted a review of laws and regulations related to these two professions. This paper reports upon the findings of the scan, and analyzes the potential effects of these laws and regulations on telehealth utilization by OTs and PTs. It suggests that as telehealth becomes more critical to meeting health-related needs of those newly insured as a result of the ACA, regulatory boards should begin to address telehealth provision in a way that fosters appropriate adoption while upholding providers to the same standard of care as would be required in an equivalent in-person encounter
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