The ATA’s Principles for Delivering Telerehabilitation Services

Abstract

Telehealth is a broad term used to describe the use of electronic or digital information and communications technologies (ICT) to deliver clinical healthcare, patient and professional health-related education, and public health and health administration. More recently, the term digital health has emerged to refer to the use of digital technologies as tools and systems that contribute to improving healthcare outcomes (i.e., artificial intelligence and machine learning, digital therapeutics, mHealth, remote patient monitoring, remote therapeutic monitoring, wearable devices, and other health analytics and information software systems). These technologies enhance the efficiency of health care delivery through the broad use of information and communication technologies (ICT) and in some commercial applications include telehealth. This document is a revision of the American Telemedicine Association’s (ATA) “Principles for delivering Telerehabilitation Services” (2017) and reflects the current utilization of telerehabilitation services. Its purpose is to inform and assist practitioners in providing effective and secure telerehabilitation services that are based on client needs, current empirical evidence, and available technologies. Rehabilitation professionals, in conjunction with professional associations and other organizations are encouraged to use this document as a resource for developing discipline-specific standards, guidelines, and practice requirements. This guide is not intended to replace the primary practitioner’s clinical decision-making about the appropriate course of healthcare for any client.