Practice Reopening | Telehealth If a practice wants to continue telehealth sessions after this national emergency has ended, what are the tasks to consider? Contact your Curi Underwriter or Agent to discuss further with you. Consider where you plan to provide these services as some states may be restricted. Licensure is a required component in telehealth and it is important to discuss your intentions with our team before you obtain licensure in a new state. Identify providers who wish to continue telehealth within your practice, including physicians and APPs. Ensure current federal and state-specific regulations are met. Devise a plan for incorporating telehealth sessions into the daily appointment schedule. Prioritize appointments—consider time requirements and level of care needed Implement patient self-scheduling —provides convenience for patient and practice Confirm appointments—utilize text messaging and email reminders Screen the patient prior to the telehealth session. Determine whether it is in the best interest of the patient to pursue a virtual visit Recognize when telehealth is not the best option and inform the patient why Review technology needs with the patient—discuss next steps should a malfunction occur Obtain informed consent for the session—at a minimum receive verbal consent and document approval in the patient’s medical record. Discuss the billing impact for the telehealth session—will insurance cover or not Complete the intake process Verify equipment (computer, phone, tablet, external microphone/camera if device lacks high quality one integrated, high-speed internet) available to patient Ensure all required documents (i.e. informed consent, personal information, financial responsibility agreement) have been received Prepare the patient for what to expect during the session Platform (Zoom, TeleDoc) Review background, lighting and lighting placement, noise, and privacy considerations Conduct the appointment Verify patient identity and validate the location of patient and providers Provider should inform patient of their credentials (i.e. MD, PA, NP) Patient should be advised of other healthcare providers present in the room but not in plain view for the patient Identify emergency contact and access to local emergency services should the session unexpectedly end Perform proper assessment, evaluation and treatment of patient Limit prescribing and dispensing of certain medications per your state’s regulations Follow-up Implement a tracking system for referrals and follow-up appointments needed. Schedule in-person evaluation for patients prescribed opioids during telehealth session. Resources https:/curator/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CURI_TELEHEALTH_OVERVIEW_2020.pdf https:/covid-19/faq/once-the-public-health-emergency-has-ended-what-are-curis-recommendations-for-implementing-a-compliant-telehealth-program/ https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2020-04/ama-telehealth-playbook.pdf News & Knowledge All Curi recommendations are based on current CDC criteria at the time of publication. CDC guidance for SARS-CoV-2 infection may, or may not, be adopted by state and local health departments to respond to rapidly changing local circumstances. Providers should always check with their local health department to see if the CDC’s guidance on any given topic has been modified (particularly if more restrictive) from the CDC’s recommended guidelines. Follow this link https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/healthdirectories/index.html for contact information to your state/local health department. If local recommendations vary from those of the CDC, and you are unsure what recommendations to follow, then it is safer to follow the more restrictive guidelines/recommendations.