Addressing TeleHealth Guildlines
The Annual Meeting of the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association was in session June 6-10 in Chicago, Illinois and telemedicine was one the topics of discussion. The group had intended to try to develop guidelines specifically addressing how telehealth visits should be conducted and the responsibilities of physicians to explain to patients the limitations of telemedicine and to ensure appropriate follow up care is communicated. However, on Monday during the session, the decision was made to table the initiative. This was prompted by a delegate urged the committee to further consider the ruling of the Texas Medical Board requiring an initial face-to-face consultation. The committee was hesitant to draft guidelines that may directly conflict with the Texas ruling. The earliest the AMA could reintroduce the topic is at the delegates interim meeting in November.