Consent Requirements

Before the delivery of health care via telehealth, the health care provider initiating the use of telehealth shall inform the patient about the use of telehealth and obtain verbal or written consent from the patient for the use of telehealth as an acceptable mode of delivering health care services and public health. The consent shall be documented.

SOURCE: CA Business & Professions Code Sec. 2290.5. (Accessed Jul. 2025).

Occupational Therapy

An occupational therapist must obtain patient’s consent prior to providing services via telehealth.

SOURCE: CA Code of Regulations, Title 16, Div. 39, Art. 8, Sec. 4172(b). (Accessed Jul. 2025).

Behavioral Sciences

A licensee must obtain informed consent from a client upon initiation of telehealth services.

SOURCE: CA Code of Regulations, Title 16, Div. 18, Art. 1, Sec. 1815.5(c). (Accessed Jul. 2025).

Psychologists

A licensee must obtain and document informed consent for the provision of psychological health care services via telehealth from the client. Such consent shall cover concerns unique to the receipt of psychological health care services via telehealth, including risks to confidentiality and security, data storage policies and procedures specific to telehealth, the possibility of disruption and/or interruption of service due to technological failure, insurance coverage considerations, and other issues that the licensee can reasonably anticipate regarding the non-comparability between psychological health care services delivered in person and those delivered via telehealth.

SOURCE: CA Code of Regulations, Title 16, Div. 13.1, Art. 8, Sec. 1396.8(a). (Accessed Jul. 2025).

Veterinarians

Before delivering veterinary medicine via telehealth, the veterinarian shall inform the client about the use and potential limitations of telehealth and obtain consent from the client to use telehealth, including acknowledgment of all of the following:

• The same standards of care apply to veterinary medicine services via telehealth and in-person veterinary medical services.
• The client has the option to choose an in-person visit from a veterinarian at any time.
• The client has been advised how to receive follow-up care or assistance in the event of an adverse reaction to the treatment or in the event of an inability to communicate resulting from technological or equipment failure.

SOURCE: CA Business and Professions Code Section 4826.6. (Accessed Jul. 2025).