•  State Licensure
•  Jay Shore, M.D., M.P.H.

In order to provide clinical services, psychiatrists must be licensed (at minimum) in the state in which the patient resides.

• When providing care over live interactive video conferencing, state licensing and medical regulatory organizations consider the care to be rendered where the patient is physically located during a telepsychiatry session. Psychiatrists performing telepsychiatry services therefore need to hold state licenses where their patients are located, regardless of where the psychiatrist is located.
• Many states have additional conditions for providing telepsychiatry services, which may include documentation and in-person examination requirements. Physicians need to be familiar with and conform to the standards of care specified by the state license they are practicing under.
• There are exceptions and variations to state licensing requirements, including some states offering special telemedicine licenses; special considerations for physician to physician consultations; and psychiatrists practicing in federal health care systems such the US Department of Veteran’s Affairs and the Indian Health System.
• Furthermore, in Federal systems, physicians may be able to hold a single state license to be credentialed in a federal systems and practice across multiple states.

References

1. The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), Telemedicine Policies, a Board by Board Overview.