Disclaimer: Law, rules and regulations, not Guidelines, specify the requirements for practice and violating them constitutes professional misconduct. Not adhering to this Guideline may be interpreted as professional misconduct only if the conduct also violates pertinent law, rules and regulations.
Guideline 10: Engaging in Telepractice
"Telepractice" is providing service that is not "in person" and is facilitated through the use of technology. Such technology may include, but is not limited to, telephone, telefax, e-mail, internet, or videoconference.
- 10.1
- Telepractice, when used as a form of physical therapy practice, is subject to all practice and ethical considerations discussed in this document and in the law, Rules and regulations governing physical therapy practice in New York State.
- 10.2
- Consider the particular impact of telepractice on dimensions of physical therapy practice, including, but not limited to:
- Awareness and assessment of unobservable behavior;
- Confidentiality and privacy of clients and their transmissions;
- Access issues such as distribution of computers and familiarity with technology;
- Temporal factors such as simultaneous communication, time between responses, and formalized "sessions"; and
- Development of technological proficiencies and on-line culture/language.
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Citations of Pertinent Law, Rules or Regulations:
Education Law, Section 6509(2) – "incompetence and negligence"