1. (1) The legislature finds that a large segment of Washington residents do not have access to critical health care services. Telemedicine is a way to increase access to health care services to those who would otherwise not have reasonable access. The legislature therefore intends to ensure that health care professionals who provide services through telemedicine, as defined in RCW 70.41.020, in cities and rural areas alike, have current information available, making it possible for them to provide telemedicine services to the entire state of Washington.

2. (2) Except as permitted under subsection (3) of this section, beginning January 1, 2021, a health care professional who provides clinical services through telemedicine, other than a physician licensed under chapter 18.71 RCW or an osteopathic physician licensed under chapter 18.57 RCW, shall complete a telemedicine training. By January 1, 2020, the telemedicine collaborative shall make a telemedicine training available on its website for use by health care professionals who use telemedicine technology. If a health care professional completes the training, the health care professional shall sign and retain an attestation. The training:

   1. (a) Must include information on current state and federal law, liability, informed consent, and other criteria established by the collaborative for the advancement of telemedicine, in collaboration with the department and the Washington state medical quality assurance commission [medical commission];
   2. (b) Must include a question and answer methodology to demonstrate accrual of knowledge; and
   3. (c) May be made available in electronic format and completed over the internet.

3. (3) A health care professional is deemed to have met the requirements of subsection (2) of this section if the health care professional:

   1. (a) Completes an alternative telemedicine training; and
   2. (b) Signs and retains an attestation that he or she completed the alternative telemedicine training.

4. (4) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

   1. (a) "Alternative telemedicine training" means training that includes components that are substantively similar to the telemedicine training developed by the telemedicine collaborative under subsection (2) of this section. "Alternative telemedicine training" may include, but is not limited to:

      1. (i) Training offered by hospitals and other health care facilities to employees of the facility;
      2. (ii) Continuing education courses; and
      3. (iii) Trainings developed by a health care professional board or commission.
   2. (b) "Health care professional" means a person licensed, registered, or certified to provide health services.

[ 2020 c 147 s 1; 2019 c 48 s 1.]