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Remember to obtain consent.

Telehealth鈥檚 popularity in recent years has allowed healthcare providers to deliver care to and monitor patients when the patient is unable to come into the office. When physicians and patients are in separate countries, the providers must take additional regulatory steps to deliver care via telehealth.

Learn how telehealth helps physicians care for patients who are across the globe.

Find out the Difference Between Telehealth and Telemedicine

鈥淭elemedicine, telehealth 鈥� we hear it often depending on what website you look at, who you talk to right now. They鈥檙e using the term interchangeably at this point,鈥� said Keisha Wilson, CCS, CPC, CPCO, CPMA, CRC, CPB, 星空入口Approved Instructor, founder and CEO of KW Advanced Consulting, during her 鈥淭elehealth Beyond Borders: Overcoming Challenges and Unlocking Opportunities鈥� session at AAPC鈥檚 HEALTHCON Regional 2024.

While the terms sound similar, there are differences between the two. Telemedicine is when a physician or other practitioner who is licensed to practice medicine uses telecommunications to connect to the patient and deliver care from a distance.

Examples include delivering lab test or X-ray results, diagnosing common conditions like colds, coughs, or stomachaches, and performing prescription management.

On the other hand, telehealth is wide-ranging umbrella that covers telemedicine and several other services. The physician or practitioner provides the patient with access to diagnosis, intervention, consultation, supervision, health assessment, and information across distances. Telehealth pairs telecommunications and information technology to deliver the services via two-way, real-time communication between the patient and healthcare provider.

Examples include remote patient monitoring (RPM), virtual visits, and providers discussing test results or treatment plans with other providers.

Understand the Benefits and Challenges of International Telehealth

Telehealth can help healthcare providers deliver care around the world to patients in remote locations. Several of the conditions that are the leading causes of death globally include, but are not limited to:

• Stroke
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Neonatal conditions
• HIV/AIDS
• Tuberculosis

The technology increases access to care, which helps address the healthcare provider shortage and reduce healthcare disparities. Telehealth also improves the management of chronic diseases by delivering healthcare provider access to remote areas and specialists. Plus, using telehealth to see patients also helps reduce the spread of diseases and infections.

However, even though there are several benefits to using telehealth, healthcare professionals must be aware of the technology鈥檚 challenges with using it internationally. Examples of obstacles to telehealth include:

• Providers鈥�/patients鈥� trouble using technology platforms
• Regulatory differences
• Infrastructure limitations
• Cultural acceptance
• Inadequate insurance
• Licensing requirements

鈥淚 work with clients that do telehealth in other countries. If you're looking to do that, you should know that it is not easy. If you think the laws in the United States are strict, they are even worse in other countries, so you really have to understand the regulations before you do it,鈥� Wilson added.

Receive Consent for Coverage

Regardless of whether you鈥檙e performing telehealth visits across town, within your state, in the United States, or internationally, you need to obtain consent from your patients for the services.

鈥淐onsent is needed. Consent needs to be obtained. You need to do it. Even if you鈥檙e using telehealth internationally, you want to make sure the patient understands their rights to telehealth,鈥� Wilson explained.

Patients must know that the telehealth visits take place instead of in-person visits and they should understand the rules and regulations of the service. You should have forms that explain the legalities of the services for the countries in which the patient resides and is receiving the telehealth care.

Query the telehealth platform companies when you鈥檙e researching and shopping for a service to see if they offer international support or guidance on providing telehealth abroad.

Maintain Data Privacy and Security

During the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), regulators relaxed certain data privacy and security requirements to ensure healthcare providers could use telehealth easily to care for their patients. However, now healthcare has had plenty of time to ensure their telehealth technology is compliant with HIPAA regulations.

Maintaining your patients鈥� data privacy and security is paramount when using telehealth services, especially when using the technology across borders. The European Union (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) coalesced data protection laws throughout EU member states and aimed to defend individuals鈥� sensitive personal data. The GDPR helps ensure the patients鈥� sensitive information stays confidential and secure regardless of whether a healthcare provider or a telehealth platform accesses the information.

The GDPR features seven guidelines for handling and securing personal data, of which, four are essential to healthcare data protection:

1. Obtaining consent before gathering or processing personal data
2. Providing access to an individual鈥檚 personal data
3. Deleting personal data at the individual鈥檚 request
4. Reporting data breaches to the proper authorities within 72 hours

鈥淩emember, if you鈥檙e seeing patients internationally, you鈥檙e going across waters, so you want to make sure it鈥檚 safe and secure. By adhering to GDPR principles, healthcare providers can instill trust,鈥� Wilson said.

Learn What Licensing and Insurance Coverage You Need

Healthcare doesn鈥檛 have a universal standard for practicing medicine. Every country has its own requirements for providers; with telehealth, you鈥檒l need to verify the licensure and regulatory requirements for each country in which you plan to deliver care.

The same goes for insurance. 鈥淲e鈥檙e talking about the requirements for the insurance companies, and some of the countries, even though it鈥檚 telehealth, they still want you enrolled with the insurer in the country to provide telehealth. This sounds similar, like the state you have to be in. Just because one country may allow you to see the patients doesn鈥檛 meet another will,鈥� Wilson said.

Telehealth regulations are continuously evolving in the United States, and the requirements are also developing internationally. By staying up-to-date on the regulation changes and consulting national medical boards, the World Health Organization (WHO), and international medical organizations, you can meet the requirements needed to deliver care to patients around the world.

Mike Shaughnessy, BA, CPC, Development Editor, AAPC