An Analysis of State Telehealth Laws and Regulations for Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy

This study conducted a scan of telehealth physical and occupational therapy state laws and regulations. The laws and regulations were analyzed to determine the potential effect they could have on physical therapists (PTs) and occupational therapists’ (OTs) utilization of telehealth. The results indicate that the majority of physical and occupational therapy boards are silent on telehealth. A handful of physical therapy laws and regulations address “consultation by means of telecommunication,” but do not provide any guidance for PTs or OTs seeking to provide direct telehealth-delivered services to patients. Of the few states that do provide guidance, policy had the potential to provide clarity, or inhibit adoption. The findings suggest that as state boards look at crafting telehealth regulation, they should do so in a way that facilitates, rather than hampers adoption, while upholding their providers to a high standard of care