When talking with patients over the phone, or other virtual communication platforms, make sure to document the details of the discussion.
In the past, before telehealth platforms existed to help guide practitioners through the practice of telemedicine, like when an on-call provider is summoned to quickly answer a patient call after hours, practitioners would treat the patient, call in a prescription and forget to document it when they got back to the office the next business day. These types of situations, whether accidental or not, can pose a liability risk if there is an issue and a patient, or the patient’s other care providers come back and ask, “What did you prescribe this medication for?” Without documentation, there is little detail to support the practitioner’s diagnosis and method of treatment.
As healthcare technology innovators continue to advance platforms for telehealth services, the process of telemedicine care is becoming easier to navigate with a defined pathway for documentation, security and follow up.
As an innovator in the healthcare space, CM&F is an advocate for leveraging technology to improve patient-provider engagement. Telehealth increases access to healthcare expertise and quality, as well as provides an additional revenue stream for providers.
Fear should not leave capable practitioners, whether NPs, PAs, Physical Therapists, Acupuncturists, or any other healthcare provider within their scope of practice, who want to offer telemedicine services, from being able to do so. CM&F’s professional liability insurance policies include telemedicine malpractice insurance, while providing these services under their scope of practice and within the parameters of the relevant laws.
