The Legal and Ethical Considerations of Telehealth: 2021

The ongoing worldwide public health emergency has sent unprecedented numbers of healthcare providers online. While new technology can provide us with powerful tools to continue to connect and communicate in this changing environment, many mental health professionals are finding themselves less than fully prepared to implement telehealth services.

This 3 hour law & ethics seminar is designed to present an introduction into the basic legal and ethical considerations of your telehealth practice. In this seminar we will discuss current Washington State and Federal telehealth laws, liability and informed consent relating to telehealth, and the range of applicable ethical codes. Participants will gain an understanding of how to strategically utilize telehealth technologies in their clinical practice. This workshop is intended to meet the Washington State Telemedicine training requirement as well as Washington law and ethics continuing education requirements.

Learning objectives

After this training, participants will be able to:

• Identify current Washington State and federal laws regarding telehealth;

• Construct effective strategies to minimize liability for telehealth services;

• Evaluation the clinical risks and benefits of implementing telehealth services;

• Articulate best practices regarding informed consent for telehealth services

EPDC CE Hours: 3

Presenter: Eric Strom

Eric Strom is an attorney and Licensed Mental Health Counselor. As an attorney, Eric provides legal counsel, consultation and guidance to mental health professionals. The focus of Eric’s clinical practice is providing mental health counseling services to combat veterans. Eric is currently serving as the ethics advisor for the Washington Mental Health Counselors Association.