Effective July 20, 2016, the Kentucky Board of Nursing adopted telehealth standards for licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and advanced practice registered nurses providing nursing services to persons physically located in Kentucky. The new rule requires nurses delivering telemedicine services to, upon initial contact with the patient, make attempts to verify the identity of the patient and exchange provider contact information, such as a telephone number or mailing address. In addition, nurses using telehealth to deliver nursing services must ensure that telehealth is appropriate for the patient, document the services provided via telehealth, use secure communications with each patient, and inform the patient and document acknowledgement of the risk and limitations of the use of telehealth to provide nursing services. Further, the new regulations call out prohibitions on misleading or deceptive advertising and fee splitting as it pertains to nurses utilizing telehealth to deliver services.

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