JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

When the COVID-19 pandemic spurred a disruption in healthcare delivery, the role of telehealth shifted from an option to a near necessity to maintain access when in-person care was deemed too risky. Each state and many organizations developed temporary telehealth COVID-19 emergency policies, each with its definitions, coverage, government cases, and regulations. As the pandemic era policies are now being replaced with more permanent definitions, we are presented with an opportunity to re-evaluate how telehealth is integrated into routine healthcare delivery. We believe in the critical timing and nature of the sequential steps to re-define telehealth after these events and the importance of developing a clear and agreed upon definition of telehealth and its components. We further suggest it is a necessary preliminary step to support clear communication and interoperability throughout the development. Precise and standard definitions could create an unambiguous environment for clinical care for both patients and providers while also enabling researchers more precise control on their investigations of telehealth. A consensus when defining telehealth and its derivatives at this critical stage could create a consistent expectation of care for all patients and those who set the standards of care, as it has for other clinical scenarios with clinical guidelines.