Modality matters: Standard of care in telehealth

The term standard of care is a legal concept in health care representing the duty a practitioner owes to each patient, and this duty is the same for telehealth encounters, whether video based or audio only, as it is for in-person encounters. This article presents an anonymized case analysis of a fatal peritonsillar abscess misdiagnosed during an audio-only telehealth encounter, highlighting the telehealth regulatory variations across states and emphasizing professional liability considerations for nurse practitioners (NPs) delivering remote care. Through the PEP and AUDIO telehealth frameworks, NPs can implement the telehealth modality that is most clinically appropriate and best safeguards diagnostic accuracy and patient safety for each patient encounter. Understanding evolving regulatory landscapes and maintaining proper documentation allow NPs to leverage telehealth advantages while fulfilling their professional duty and preventing potentially fatal diagnostic and management errors.