Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 50, December 13, 2024
Section 14-12-2 - Definitions2.1. "Board" means the West Virginia Board of Optometry.2.2. "Established patient" means a patient who has received professional services, face-to-face, from the optometrist, or optometrist of the exact same specialty and subspecialty who belongs to the same group practice, within the past three years.2.3. "Interstate telehealth services" means the provision of telehealth services to a patient located in West Virginia by a health care practitioner located in any other state or commonwealth of the United States.2.4. "Optometrist" means an individual licensed to practice optometry in West Virginia under § 30-8-1, et seq. or in any other state or commonwealth of the United States.2.5. "Registration" means an authorization to practice optometry regulated by § 30-8-1et. seq. of this code and this rule for the limited purpose of providing interstate telehealth services within the registrant's scope of practice.2.6. "Registrant" means an individual who holds a valid telehealth registration from the Board.2.7. "Store-and-forward technologies" means the asynchronous computer-based communication of medical data or images from an originating location in West Virginia to a registered optometrist at another site for diagnostic purposes.2.8. "Telehealth services" means the use of synchronous or asynchronous telecommunications technology or audio-only telephone call by a health care practitioner 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 internet questionnaires, e-mail messages, or facsimile transmissions.