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REPORT OF THE MODEL GUIDELINES FOR THE APPROPRIATE USE
Introduction In April 2000, the Federation’s House of Delegates adopted 15 recommendations issued by the Special Committee on Professional Conduct and Ethics focusing on physician behaviors and practices which negatively impact (1) patient safety and welfare, and/or (2) the physician-patient relationship. The recommendations pertain to physician activities in five specific areas:
Recommendation Nine of the Special Committee’s Report called for the Federation of State Medical Boards to study the practice of medicine via the Internet as to the impact on public health and safety and develop guidelines for state medical boards to use in educating licensees as to the appropriate use of the Internet in medical practice. Then Federation President George C. Barrett, MD, extended the charge of the Special Committee on Professional Conduct and Ethics to fulfill the adopted recommendation. In developing the guidelines that follow, the Committee evaluated current and projected use of the Internet in the delivery of health care services and identified two distinct areas of e-health: health information and delivery of patient care. The Committee focused the guidelines on the latter due to its direct impact on patient safety and welfare and the physician-patient relationship. MODEL GUIDELINES FOR THE APPROPRIATE USE
Section I. Preamble The Internet has had a profound impact on the practice of medicine and offers opportunities for improving the delivery and accessibility of health care. Studies show a growing number of physicians are utilizing the Internet to some degree in their practices and patients want to receive certain medical services online. However, patient safety concerns, especially as related to providing medical services via the Internet, including prescribing and dispensing medications, have created complex regulatory challenges for state medical boards in protecting the public. The (name of board) recognizes that the Internet offers potential benefits in the provision of medical care. The appropriate application of this technology can enhance medical care by facilitating communication with physicians and other health care providers, refilling prescriptions, obtaining laboratory results, scheduling appointments, monitoring chronic conditions, providing health care information and clarifying medical advice. However, it is the expectation of the Board that e-mail and other electronic communications and interactions between the physician and patient should supplement and enhance, but not replace, crucial interpersonal interactions that create the very basis of the physician-patient relationship. The Board has developed these guidelines to educate licensees as to the appropriate use of the Internet in medical practice. The (name of board) is committed to assuring patient access to the convenience and benefits afforded by the Internet while promoting the responsible practice of medicine by physicians. It is the expectation of the Board that physicians who provide medical care, electronically or otherwise, maintain a high degree of professionalism and should:
Section II. Parity of Professional and Ethical Standards There should be parity of ethical and professional standards applied to all aspects of a physician’s practice. Related to the use of the Internet in a physician’s practice, the Board expects the following ethical standards to be observed: Candor: Privacy: Integrity: Informed Consent: Accountability: Section III. An Appropriate Physician-Patient Relationship The health and well-being of patients depends upon a collaborative effort between physician and patient. The relationship between physician and patient is complex and is based on the mutual understanding between physician and patient of the shared responsibility for the patient’s health care. Although the Board recognizes that it may be difficult in some circumstances, particularly in an online setting, to define precisely the beginning of the physician-patient relationship, it tends to begin when an individual seeks assistance from a physician with a health-related matter for which the physician may provide assistance. However, the relationship is clearly established when the physician agrees to undertake diagnosis and treatment of the patient and the patient agrees, whether or not there has been a personal encounter between the physician (or other supervised health care practitioner) and patient. The physician-patient relationship is fundamental to the provision of acceptable medical care. It is the expectation of the Board that physicians recognize the obligations, responsibilities and patient rights associated with establishing and maintaining an appropriate physician-patient relationship whether or not interpersonal contact between physician and patient has occurred. Section IV. Definitions For the purpose of these guidelines, the following definitions apply: "Medical Practice Site" means a patient-specific Internet site, access to which is limited to licensed physicians, associated medical personnel and patients. It is an interactive site and thus qualifies as a practice location. It requires a defined physician-patient relationship. "General Health Information Site" means a non-interactive Internet site that is accessible by anyone with access to the Internet and intended to provide general, user non-specific information or advice about maintaining health or the treatment of an acute or chronic illness, health condition or disease state. "Personal Health Information" means any personally-identifiable information, whether oral or recorded in any form or medium, that is created or received by a physician or other health care provider and relates to the past, present or future physical or mental health or condition of an individual, the provision of health care to an individual, or the past, present, or future payment for the provision of health care to an individual. "Physician-patient e-mail" means computer-based communication between physicians (or their medical personnel) and patients within a professional relationship in which the physician has taken on an explicit measure of responsibility for the patient’s care. "Passive tracking mechanism" means a persistent electronic file used to track Web site navigation, which allows the Web site to record, and retain user-specific navigation information whenever the user accesses the Web site. Examples include "cookies," "clear gifts" or "Web bugs." "Web site" means an electronic source of health information content, commerce, connectivity and/or service delivery. Section V. Guidelines for the Appropriate Use of the Internet in Medical Practice The Board has adopted the following guidelines for physicians utilizing the Internet in the delivery of patient care: Evaluation of the Patient Treatment Electronic Communications Sufficient security measures must be in place and documented to assure confidentiality and integrity of patient-identifiable information. Transmissions, including patient e-mail, prescriptions, and laboratory results must be secure within existing technology (i.e., password protected, encrypted electronic prescriptions, or other reliable authentication techniques). All patient-physician e-mail, as well as other patient-related electronic communications, should be stored and filed in the patient’s medical record. Turnaround time should be established for patient-physician e-mail and medical practice sites should clearly indicate alternative form(s) of communication for urgent matters. E-mail systems should be configured to include an automatic reply to acknowledge message delivery and that messages have been read. Patients should be encouraged to confirm that they have received and read messages. Informed Consent
Medical Records Patient medical records should remain current and accessible for review and be maintained in compliance with applicable state and federal requirements. Compliance with State and Federal Laws and Web Standards Physicians who treat or prescribe through Internet Web sites are practicing medicine and must possess appropriate licensure in all jurisdictions where patients reside. Physicians are encouraged to comply with nationally recognized health Web site standards and codes of ethics, such as those promulgated by the American Medical Association, Health Ethics Initiative 2000, Health on the Net and the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (URAC). Disclosure
Accountability
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