Are video consultations with the doctor allowed?

Are video consultations allowed?

Consultations via video are not only advantageous for doctors and patients in times of a pandemic. The patient does not have to go to the doctor and the practice can coordinate video appointments more precisely than in-house appointments. After all, they don't delay patients in the video chat because there were parking problems or the bus didn't come on time. In addition, you are more relaxed, without stressful journeys and the doctor does not have to disinfect the treatment room after each patient. But is the new technology allowed?

Video consultation hours only through certified providers

The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) made a clear statement on the subject on February 4th, 2021. Video consultation - or as it is called in technical jargon , telemedically supported patient care - is permitted under very specific conditions.

However, a simple video circuit via Skype, WhatsApp or Zoom does not meet these requirements . The technical requirements for the practice and the video service are regulated by Annex 31b to the federal framework agreement for doctors. Technical security and data protection are particularly important.

Conditions in the medical practice

The video consultation must be as confidential and trouble-free as any other consultation. The room must therefore offer privacy and the technology used must ensure appropriate communication.

It goes without saying that no advertising is allowed. The doctor is also not allowed to record the consultation hours. Healthcare Zoom solutions that offer session review and recordings on the local desktop are therefore not allowed.

A video consultation via an approved provider , which takes place in the normal consultation room, is therefore not a problem.

Notes on permitted video providers

The video service provider must be certified in accordance with Annex 31b for IT security and data protection. After concluding the contract with the practice, he gives the practice a corresponding certificate that he meets the requirements for a video service provider for medical consultations. The provider of the video service must also ensure that the entire transmission of the video consultation is end-to-end encrypted .

Important: Doctors or psychotherapists must notify their association of statutory health insurance physicians before the video consultation that they are using a certified video service provider . Due to the pandemic, however, this obligation has been suspended in some KV regions. Practices should find out more about this from their responsible Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians.

A list of certified video providers is published on the KBV website.

Things to keep in mind during video consultations:

- The regulation that a doctor may only hold 20% of all treatment cases as video consultations has been suspended since April 1, 2020 due to the corona virus.
- Prior to the first video consultation, patients must consent to the service being provided online.
- Neither the doctor nor the patient are allowed to record the consultation hours.
- Of course, medical advice cannot be given anonymously. The real name of the patient must be recognizable.
- Patients who have never been to the practice before must identify themselves using their electronic health card.

Video consultation hours are therefore legal and can be billed to the health insurance companies, but there are high requirements for the security of the transmission. Therefore, only the services of certified video service providers may be used.