The American Medical Association has adopted a new telemedicine policy generally supporting its adoption and use.
While recognizing the potential of telemedicine to improve access to care and increase efficiency, the guidelines emphasize the importance of in-person visits to build and maintain physician-patient relationships.
The guidelines include calls for "fair" reimbursement from CMS and other payers for telemedicine services, customized clinical standards for different physician specialties and a requirement physicians be licensed in the state in which services are rendered.
"Whether a patient is seeing his or her physician in person or via telemedicine, the same standards of care for the patient must be maintained," said Robert M. Wah, MD, the AMA's new president, in a news release. "Telemedicine can strengthen the patient-physician relationship and improve access to receive care remotely, as medically appropriate, including treatment for chronic conditions, which are proven ways to improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs."
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