The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) has finalized its model guidelines for telehealth licensure in an effort to reduce some of the most intractable legal barriers preventing physicians from engaging in telemedicine and remote care with patients in differing areas of the country. The completed interstate licensing guidelines will speed the process of approving physicians to practice in multiple states, cutting through a tangled web of laws and regulations that has compartmentalized the telehealth industry and kept some patients from receiving the ideal level of remote care.
The announcement was also welcomed by the American Medical Association, which recently adopted new telemedicine reimbursement guidelines of its own. “The American Medical Association has long supported reform of the state licensure process to reduce costs and expedite applications while protecting patient safety and promoting quality care,” said Robert M. Wah, MD, President of the AMA. “State-based licensure is an important tenet of accountability, ensuring that physicians are qualified through the review of their education, training, character, and professional and disciplinary histories.The interstate compact aligns with our efforts to modernize state medical licensure, allowing for an expedited licensing pathway in participating states.”
Source: EHR Intelligence