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- Title
Emergency Telemedicine: Achieving and Maintaining Compliance with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.
- Authors
Rockwell, Kimberly Lovett; Gilroy, Alexis
- Abstract
Purpose:Telemedicine is a growing and important platform for medical delivery in the emergency department. Emergency telemedicine outlays often confront and conflict with important federal healthcare regulations. Because of this, academic medical centers, critical access hospitals, and other providers interested in implementing emergency telemedicine have often delayed or forgone such services due to reasonable fears of falling out of compliance with regulatory restrictions imposed by the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act ("EMTALA"). This article offers insights into methods for implementing emergency telemedicine services while maintaining EMTALA compliance. Methodology:Critical analysis of EMTALA and its attendant regulations. Results:The primary means of ensuring EMTALA compliance while implementing emergency telemedicine programs include incorporating critical clinical details into the services contracts and implementing robust written policies that anticipate division of labor issues, the need for backup coverage, triaging, patient transfer protocols, and credentialing issues. With adequate up-front due diligence and meaningful contracting, hospitals and telemedicine providers can avoid common EMTALA liability pitfalls.
- Subjects
UNITED States; TELEMEDICINE; EMERGENCY medical services; EMERGENCY Medical Treatment &; Active Labor Act; MEDICAL telematics; PUBLIC health
- Publication
Telemedicine & e-Health, 2018, Vol 24, Issue 11, p934
- ISSN
1530-5627
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1089/tmj.2017.0204