Clinical Guidelines

Clinical Guidelines

Guidance & Best Practices for the clinician in school-based Telehealth can be difficult to find as there are many terms for the same mode of providing clinical service over HIPAA-secure technology to clients or patients.

Clinical guidelines for school-based telehealth can be difficult to find as there are many terms for the same mode of providing clinical service over HIPAA-secure technology to clients or patients.

It is important to note that school-based telehealth is a mode of providing medical and behavioral health services and is not a separate service in and of itself. This mode requires specific training, preparation and protocols to provide safe, effective, legal and ethical clinical services.

School-based telehealth clinical guidelines may be found in:

  • State license regulations and state guidance – Each state and each profession may be different.
  • Profession-specific Code of Ethics – Each profession has their own set of guidelines and state license regulations often require adherence to these Codes of Ethics.
  • Reimbursement requirements – Payors may require certain types of technology (i.e. HIPAA-secure) and only permit certain practices and locations.
  • Telemedicine industry best practices for children and adolescents.

Some key national organizations have published position statements or related documents:

AAP – American Academy of Pediatrics
This is an August 2021 statement about Pediatric Telehealth, though not specific to the school setting.

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/148/3/e2021053129

NAPNAP – National Association of Pediatric NursePractitioners
Shares this position statement on school-based health centers
https://www.napnap.org/napnap-revises-position-statement-on-school-based-health-care/

NASN – National Association of School Nurses
Released this position statement
https://www.nasn.org/advocacy/professional-practice-documents/position-statements/ps-telehealth

The scope of care to be provided via school-based telehealth greatly drives the guidelines that need to be followed.

Information Relevant to Clinical Guidelines:

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