Getting patients’ Informed consent ^x is an important part of any telemedicine program. Not only is getting informed patient consent a recommended best practice by the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), it’s a requirement in many states. 

Since telemedicine is a new way of receiving care for many patients, it’s important to let them know how it works. How does patient confidentiality and privacy work with virtual doctor visits? What kinds of technical equipment do they need for a virtual visit? What should they expect in terms of scheduling, canceling, and billing policies? 

While it’s up to the provider as to how much to include when getting his patients’ consent for a telemedicine visit, there are a few basic requirements they should know about.