Regulamentation and Florida Law for this practice through this website
Raquel Da Costa Rangel
License – (#PT35742)
(Disclaimer alert- Physical Therapist licensed in Florida can be a Telehealth provider, which means any individual who provides health care and related services using telehealth and who is licensed or certified under s. 393.17; part III of chapter 401; chapter 457; chapter 458; chapter 459; chapter 460; chapter 461; chapter 463; chapter 464; chapter 465; chapter 466; chapter 467; part I, part III, part IV, part V, part X, part XIII, or part XIV of chapter 468; chapter 478; chapter 480; part I, part II, or part III of chapter 483; chapter 484; chapter 486 (PT); chapter 490; or chapter 491; who is licensed under a multistate health care licensure compact of which Florida is a member state; or who is registered under and complies with subsection (4).
456.47 Use of telehealth to provide services.—
(1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Telehealth” means the use of synchronous or asynchronous telecommunications technology by a telehealth provider to provide health care services, including, but not limited to, assessment, diagnosis, consultation, treatment, and monitoring of a patient; transfer of medical data; patient and professional health-related education; public health services; and health administration. The term does not include e-mail messages or facsimile transmissions.
(b) “Telehealth provider” means any individual who provides health care and related services using telehealth and who is licensed or certified under s. 393.17; part III of chapter 401; chapter 457; chapter 458; chapter 459; chapter 460; chapter 461; chapter 463; chapter 464; chapter 465; chapter 466; chapter 467; part I, part III, part IV, part V, part X, part XIII, or part XIV of chapter 468; chapter 478; chapter 480; part I, part II, or part III of chapter 483; chapter 484; chapter 486; chapter 490; or chapter 491; who is licensed under a multistate health care licensure compact of which Florida is a member state; or who is registered under and complies with subsection (4).
1(2) PRACTICE STANDARDS.—
(a) A telehealth provider has the duty to practice in a manner consistent with his or her scope of practice and the prevailing professional standard of practice for a health care professional who provides in-person health care services to patients in this state.
(b) A telehealth provider may use telehealth to perform a patient evaluation. If a telehealth provider conducts a patient evaluation sufficient to diagnose and treat the patient, the telehealth provider is not required to research a patient’s medical history or conduct a physical examination of the patient before using telehealth to provide health care services to the patient.
(c) A telehealth provider may not use telehealth to prescribe a controlled substance listed in Schedule II of s. 893.03 unless the controlled substance is prescribed for the following:
1. The treatment of a psychiatric disorder;
2. Inpatient treatment at a hospital licensed under chapter 395;
3. The treatment of a patient receiving hospice services as defined in s. 400.601; or
4. The treatment of a resident of a nursing home facility as defined in s. 400.021.
(d) A telehealth provider and a patient may be in separate locations when telehealth is used to provide health care services to a patient.
(e) A nonphysician telehealth provider using telehealth and acting within his or her relevant scope of practice, as established by Florida law or rule, is not in violation of s. 458.327(1)(a) or s. 459.013(1)(a).
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Florida Statutes – Chapter 486.021 (11) (a)
(a) A physical therapist may implement a plan of treatment developed by the physical therapist for a patient or for a patient by a practitioner of record or by an advanced registered nurse practitioner licensed under s. 464.012.
A physical therapist shall refer the patient to or consult with a practitioner of record if the patient’s condition is found to be outside the scope of the physical therapy. If physical therapy treatment of a patient is required beyond (30) days for a condition not previously assessed by a practitioner of record, the physical therapist shall have a practitioner of record review and sign the plan.
The requirement that a physical therapist have a practitioner of record review and sign a plan of treatment does not apply when a patient has been physically examined by a physician licensed in another state, the patient has been diagnosed by the physician as having a condition for which the physical therapy is required, and the physical therapist is treating the condition.