Page 29 - Telemedicine - Essentials of Virtual Care Delivery Part One
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SVMIC Telemedicine: Essentials of Virtual Care Delivery
How do I minimize malpractice risk when treating
patients at a distance?
The standard of care requires a healthcare provider to exercise
the degree of reasonable care, skill, and diligence as would
ordinarily be exercised by a similarly situated healthcare
provider for a similar patient under the same or similar
circumstances. The analysis of most adverse events associated
with telemedicine will begin with the question, Was this a
clinical situation that could reasonably be managed this way?
How do I get paid for services rendered to patients at a
distance?
This question can be central to decisions about the role of
telemedicine for a given organization, but the multiplicity
and volatility of payor policies and strategic solutions make it
challenging. For additional guidance and resources, please log
into Vantage.svmic.com.
Specialty Telemedicine Services
It is simply impossible to provide immediate physical access
to the full range of medical experts for every American; the
geography is just too great. When the problem depends solely
on the transfer of information, it is risky, especially in time-
critical situations, to transport the patient when transmitting the
information between providers is so easy. This logic has been
successfully used by both rural and urban practitioners to gain
access to specialties like toxicology (poison control), neurology,
dermatology, cardiology, pathology, radiology, wound care,
rehabilitation and occupational medicine, and even critical care.
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