Today, ERIC submitted comments to the Louisiana Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology (Board). ERIC agreed with the Board that the standard of care and professional ethics governing in-person visits should apply in the same manner to telehealth visits. We also appreciated the Board’s technology-neutral definition of telehealth.
ERIC also submitted comments to Delaware Board of Dietetics/Nutrition. ERIC urged the Board to strike the proposed requirement requiring initial evaluations be performed “face to face and not through telehealth” and instead use standards expressed in existing rules to maintain a high standard of care, and permit licensees to exercise their professional judgment on a case-by-case basis to determine whether telehealth is appropriate for an initial encounter. ERIC believes by limiting barriers to services provided via telehealth, the Board accomplishes its goal of broader access to care without compromising professional standards of competence and service delivery.