Indian Health Service Expands Telehealth Services During COVID-19 Response

The Indian Health Service is announcing its expansion of telehealth across IHS federal facilities. On March 27, IHS issued additional guidance that allowed clinicians to use certain additional, non-public facing audio or video communications technologies to augment all clinical activities related to providing care to patients during the COVID-19 public health emergency. This applied to telehealth provided for any clinical reason, regardless of whether the telehealth service is related to the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions related to COVID-19. Beginning April 8, IHS service units and their clinicians who are using the system will obtain verbal consent from patients who meet with their provider via a telehealth appointment.  Health care providers are required to verify the patient at the beginning of each encounter and are not authorized to record the session.