Glossary Check: Minn. 'Telehealth,' 'Telemonitoring Services'

Minneapolis, MN (WorkersCompensation.com) -- Although "telehealth" isn't new, it got a boost during the pandemic and looks to be part of the "new normal" that will stick around long after COVID fades from the daily headlines.

Recognizing that reality, Minnesota recently went to work on its statute that addresses coverage of services provided through telehealth, known as the Minnesota Telehealth Act.

But what exactly does "telehealth" mean? Here's how the Land of 10,000 Lakes defines that term and one that's closely related, "telemonitoring services."

Telehealth

"Telehealth" means the delivery of health care services or consultations through the use of real time two-way interactive audio and visual communications to provide or support health care delivery and facilitate the assessment, diagnosis, consultation, treatment, education, and care management of a patient's health care.

Telehealth includes:

• The application of secure video conferencing
• Store-and-forward technology
• Synchronous interactions between a patient located at an originating site and a health care provider located at a distant site.
• Until July 1, 2023, telehealth also includes audio-only communication between a health care provider and a patient

What isn't covered? Telehealth does not include:

• Communication between health care providers that consists solely of a telephone conversation, email, or facsimile transmission.
• Communication between a health care provider and a patient that consists solely of an email or facsimile transmission.
• Telemonitoring services

Telemonitoring Services

"Telemonitoring services" means the remote monitoring of clinical data related to the enrollee's vital signs or biometric data by a monitoring device or equipment that transmits the data electronically to a health care provider for analysis.

Telemonitoring is intended to collect an enrollee's health-related data for the purpose of assisting a health care provider in assessing and monitoring the enrollee's medical condition or status.

Statutory, regulatory, and case law materials from 53 U.S. jurisdictions, including Minnesota can be found on WorkCompResearch

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