Clinical and technical standards
Clinical and technology infrastructure are important aspects of a telehealth program.
Virtual clinical care standards
Accreditors may check some or all components of how clinical care is provided in a telehealth program. Criteria varies among different accreditation bodies and may include:
- Clinical processes. Clinical protocols and guidelines for virtual care, including triage, assessments, diagnosis, treatment plans, prescriptions, and follow-up care.
- Process to monitor patients. Quality assurance and improvement plans should be in place to track patient health outcomes and address complaints and adverse events.
- Clinical documentation. Telehealth services require the completion of the appropriate forms, including patient consent and encounter notes.
The goal is to ensure that telehealth programs provide safe, high-quality care to patients while adhering to industry best practices and regulations.
Technology infrastructure and privacy
Telehealth accreditation involves reviewing a telehealth program’s processes and protocols, including those related to privacy and security. This helps determine whether a program meets the current standards to protect patient privacy (PDF) and keep health data secure. This may include:
- Reliable and secure use of HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform.
- Access to auxiliary aids and services for patients with disabilities or with limited English proficiency.
- Adopting virtual clinical practice guidelines, including confirming the patient’s identification at the beginning of each appointment and everyone who is present in the room.
- Effective telehealth equipment, including remote patient monitoring devices.
- Regularly testing and updating telehealth equipment with antivirus and firewall protection.
- Verifying data security features, such as authentication, encryption, and authorization.
- Documenting a process of how patient health data is collected, stored, and transferred.
- Complying with federal and state requirements for protecting against data breaches.
More information
Legal considerations — Health Resources and Services Administration
Planning your telehealth workflow — Health Resources and Services Administration
Cybersecurity Guidance Material — Office for Civil Rights
HIPAA for Professionals — Office for Civil Rights