08 Feb AAVSB Seeks Input on Model Telehealth Language

AAVSB (the American Association of Veterinary State Boards) is seeking input on telehealth language for the AAVSB model veterinary practice act. In September 2016 at the AAVSB Annual Meeting & Conference, Member Boards focused discussions on veterinary telehealth and the implications to the regulation of veterinary medicine. The AAVSB Regulatory Policy Task Force (RPTF) gathered input from those discussions to produce a series of telehealth talking points which were shared with AAVSB Member Boards at the 2017 AAVSB Annual Meeting & Conference. The RPTF, which is composed of 12 volunteers serving or having served AAVSB Member Boards, has spent a significant time researching telehealth and reviewing examples and models in other professions, meeting with industry leaders, and talking with affiliate organizations. As a result, the RPTF developed an initial draft of model language to address the regulation of telehealth practices in veterinary medicine. The draft policy is intended as a model to address the key issues facing the veterinary profession and regulatory agencies, and to ensure the language is consistent with the principles and language in the AAVSB Practice Act Model.

The AAVSB Board of Directors would like to get your organization’s feedback on the attached draft Model Policy for the Appropriate Use of Telehealth Technologies in the Practice of Veterinary Medicine. AAVSB will be collecting feedback through February 28, 2018 to take back to the RPTF for consideration in generating a final draft to present to the AAVSB Board of Directors. The document is available and comments can be submitted through the following link:  www.aavsb.org/MemberServices/model-telehealth-policy-document.

Should you have questions or like more information about the development of the draft policy, please feel free to contact Jim Penrod, AAVSB Executive Director, at jpenrod@aavsb.org or 816.931.1504 x 225 . AAVSB looks forward to receiving your input.