Alabama § 34-22-83 - Telemedicine - Services; Provider-Patient Relationship; Standards of Practice; Confidentiality.

§ 34-22-83. Telemedicine - Services; Provider-Patient Relationship; Standards of Practice; Confidentiality.

(a) Telemedicine services provided at an established treatment site may be used for all patient visits, including initial evaluations to establish a proper doctor-patient relationship between a provider and a patient.

(1) A provider shall be reasonably available onsite at the established medical site to assist with the provision of care.

(2) A provider may delegate tasks and activities at an established treatment site to an assistant who is properly trained and supervised or directed.

(b) A distant site provider who provides telemedicine services to a patient that is not present at an established treatment site shall ensure that a proper provider-patient relationship is established, which at a minimum includes all of the following:

(1) Having had at least one face-to-face meeting at an established treatment site before engaging in telemedicine services. A face-to-face meeting is not required for new conditions relating to an existing patient, unless the provider deems that such a meeting is necessary to provide adequate care.

(2) Establishing that the person requesting the treatment is in fact whom he or she claims to be.

(c) Evaluation, treatment, and consultation recommendations made in a telemedicine setting, including issuing a prescription via electronic means, shall be held to the same standards of appropriate practice as those in traditional in-person clinical settings.

(d)(1) Adequate security measures shall be implemented to ensure that all patient communications, recordings, and records remain confidential.

(2)a. Written policies and procedures shall be maintained when using electronic mail for provider-patient communications. Policies shall be evaluated periodically to make sure they are up to date. Policies and procedures shall address all of the following:

1. Privacy to assure confidentiality and integrity of patient-identifiable information.

2. Health care personnel, in addition to the provider, who will process messages.

3. Hours of operation and availability.

4. Types of transactions that shall be permitted electronically.

5. Required patient information to be included in the communication, such as the patient name, identification number, and type of transaction.

6. Archival and retrieval.

7. Quality oversight mechanisms.

b. All relevant provider-patient email, and other patient-related electronic communications, shall be stored and filed in the patient record.

c. Patients shall be informed of alternative forms of communication for urgent matters.