In: Biology
What licensure model would be most useful to support telehealth clinical practice across international boundaries, for example, Canadian doctors or nurses (virtually) seeing and treating U.S. patients or U.S. pharmacists and occupational therapists (virtually) seeing and treating Australian patients
STATE-BASED LICENSURE OF TELEMEDICINE would be most useful to support telehealth clinical practice across international boundaries.
The application of restrictive state laws to telemedicine creates some perplexing situations. If a patient travels across state lines to see a specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, for example, then the Mayo physician does not need a license to practice medicine in the patient's state. But if the contact between the Mayo doctor and the patient occurs electronically, thus saving the patient the time and expense of travel, the Mayo doctor might need a full license in the patient's state. 26 Barring serious differences in the quality of care provided or improper use of distance technology, these discrepancies should not exist.