The Ehealth, Telehealth and Telemedicine Blog

What Is CTEL and How Can It Help You?

The Center for Telehealth and e-Health Law http://www.ctel.org/ is important resource for U.S.-based healthcare practitioners. It offers information about law, ehealth, telemedicine and telehealth. Some of their publications are available for free online. Other publications limited to paid members. Member costs are $175/yr for individuals and $1,500/yr for organizations. Free publications you can find at their [...]

SKYPE & HIPAA (ePHI vs PHI)

There seems to be continued confusion about whether or not Skype is HIPAA compliant. Please allow me to  post some of the additional requirements under HIPAA and let you consider if you are compliant when using Skype. First, there are the “rules” under HIPAA: transactions, security and privacy. Some of our colleagues see the security [...]

Have You Seen This HIPAA Compliant Video Portal?

As previously discussed, companies devoted to mental health practice and offering “HIPAA Compliant” video platforms are now surfacing. One such service is Iconic Health’s HomePsych for organizations or private practices.

West Virginia Legislators Introduce Bill to Define Telepsychology

Our legislative leaders are recognizing the importance of Telepsychology. In West Virginia, House Bill 3123 was introduced on Monday to define Tele psychology. It reads:

A BILL to amend and reenact §30-21-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; and to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §49-7-36, all relating to encouraging the use of telemedicine, telepsychology and video conferencing in order to make child welfare system more effective and efficient; defining telepsychology and specifying it is considered to be practicing psychology for licensing requirements.

17 Questions to Answer Before Working with Consumers Online as a Licensed Mental Health Professional

What might a consumer want to know when hiring you to work as a “licensed” professional? These 17 questions were sparked by an interview with a journalist who asked me what a consumer might need to consider when hiring a professional online. The questions then, are meant to help both professionals and consumers think about the issues their online therapists should address, at least when asked, if not before delivering professional care.

Are You Practicing Illegal or Unethical Online Counseling, Online Therapy, Telepsychology or Telepsychiatry?

Some mental health practitioners seem to have made up their minds about what legal and ethical for email, chat or even video-based counseling/therapy. The problem is, the real answers depend not on the technology, but on the profession and the jurisdiction (province, state, county and perhaps city) of practice.

Does Video Contact with Clients or Patients Require HIPAA Compliance?

If a US-based company isn’t claiming HIPAA compliance, my tendency is to recommend against using them for the delivery of telepsychiatry, telepsychology, online therapy or online counseling in the US, until they make claims for which they can be held accountable by our federal consumer protection agencies. That includes email, chat rooms, telephone or videoconferencing.