Section 844IAC5-8-2. Definitions

   (a) The definitions in this section apply throughout this rule.

  (b) "Board" refers to the medical licensing board of Indiana established by IC 25-22.5-2-1.

  (c) "Participant" means a physician who holds an active, unrestricted license to practice medicine in the state of Indiana. A participant may choose to organize under an entity or entities for authorized purposes.

  (d) "Pilot program" means a pilot program established by the board to provide telehealth services to patients in Indiana without the requirement of an in-person, patient-physician relationship. The board may authorize more than one (1) participant to provide telehealth services under the pilot program.

  (e) "Telehealth" means the practice of health care delivery, diagnosis, consultation, treatment, transfer of medical data, or exchange of medical education information by means of real-time video or secure chat or secure e-mail or integrated telephony while the patient is at any location and the health care provider is at any other location.

  (f) "Telehealth services" means the use of telecommunications and information technology to provide access to health assessment, diagnosis, intervention, consultation, treatment, supervision, and information across a distance.

  (g) "Valid prescription" refers to a prescription that is issued by a licensed physician for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice and issued by the licensed physician who has first obtained a medical history and conducted an evaluation of the patient adequate to establish a diagnosis.

  (h) "Visit" includes a single, independent encounter not to include follow-up visits by the same patient for that initial encounter. A visit by an established patient for a new encounter of treatment would be considered a new visit for purposes of the pilot. (Medical Licensing Board of Indiana; 844 IAC 5-8-2; filed Apr 8, 2015, 12:37 p.m.: 20150506-IR-844140442FRA)