Telehealth, also known as telemedicine or telepractice, refers to the use of electronic communication technologies to allow health care providers in one location to offer services to patients and consultations to other health care providers at another location. Services can include patient assessment and education, diagnostic evaluation, monitoring, disease management, disease prevention, health promotion, and rehabilitation as well as specific patient consultations.
The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) supports efforts to provide patients access to respiratory therapy services via telehealth. Furthermore, the AARC supports the recognition of respiratory therapists as providers of telehealth services under Medicare, Medicaid, commercial and other health insurance programs.
Effective 3/01