Definitions

“Telehealth,” “telemedicine,” and “provider-based telemedicine” mean:

• The use of real time audio, video, or other electronic media and telecommunication technology that enables interaction between a healthcare provider and a patient for the purpose of diagnosis, consultation, or treatment of a patient at a distant site where there may be no in-person exchange between a healthcare provider and a patient; or
• Store-and-forward telemedicine services.

“Store-and-forward telemedicine services” means the use of asynchronous computer-based communications, which may include the transfer of medical data in an image captured or created by a camera or similar device, between a healthcare provider and patient for the purpose of diagnosis, consultation, or treatment of the patient at a distant site where there may be no in-person exchange between the healthcare provider and the patient.

SOURCE:  TN Code Sec. 63-1-155. (Accessed Apr. 2025).

Telemedicine is the practice of medicine using electronic communication, information technology or other means, between a licensee in one location and a patient in another location. Telemedicine is not an audio only telephone conversation, email/instant messaging conversation or fax. It typically involves the application of secure video conferencing or store-and-forward to provide or support healthcare delivery by replicating the interaction of a traditional encounter between a provider and a patient.

SOURCE: TN Rule Annotated, 0880-02.-16(1)(g). (Accessed Apr. 2025).

Optometry

The definition of telehealth shall be defined as provided in T.C.A. § 63-1- 155(a)(2).

SOURCE: TN Rule annotated 1045-02-.18, (Accessed Apr. 2025).

Dentistry

“Teledentistry” which, as used in this section, means the delivery of dental health care and patient consultation through the use of telehealth systems and technologies, including live, two-way interactions between a patient and a dentist licensed in this state using audiovisual telecommunications technology, or the secure transmission of electronic health records and medical data to a dentist licensed in this state to facilitate evaluation and treatment of the patient outside of a real-time or in-person interaction.

SOURCE: TN Code Annotated 63-5-108, (Accessed Apr. 2025).

A teledentistry encounter entails the rendering of a documented dental opinion concerning evaluation, diagnosis, and/or treatment of a patient whether the dentist is physically present in the same room or in a remote location within the state or across state lines.

Teledentistry as practiced under T.C.A § 63-5-108(b)(16) is not an audio-only telephone conversation, email/instant messaging conversation or fax. At a minimum it shall include the application of secure video conferencing or store-and-forward technology to provide or support dental care delivery by replicating the interaction of a traditional encounter between a provider and a patient.

If the information transmitted through electronic or other means as part of a patient’s encounter is not of sufficient quality or does not contain adequate information for the dentist to form an opinion, the dentist must declare they cannot form an opinion to make an adequate diagnosis and must request direct referral for inspection and actual physical examination, request additional data or recommend the patient be evaluated by the patient’s primary dentist or other local oral health care provider.

Store-and-forward technology as used in (1)(b) above is the use of asynchronous electronic communications between a patient and dentist at a distant site for the purpose of diagnostic and therapeutic assistance in the care of patients, including the transferring of dental data from one site to another through the use of a device that records or stores images that are sent or forwarded via electronic communication to another site for consultation.

SOURCE: TN Rule Annotated, Rule 0460-01-.19 (Accessed Apr. 2025).

Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology

For purposes of this rule, synchronous telecommunications and asynchronous telecommunications shall have the same definitions found in T.C.A. § 63-1-155(a)(3)(A) for “Telehealth” and 63-1-155(a)(2) for “Store-and-forward telemedicine services”, respectively.

Telecommunications shall include but not be limited to dedicated video systems, computers, and other similar electronic devices linked via hardwired or internet connections.

SOURCE: TN Rule Annotated, Rule 1370-01-.21, (Accessed Apr. 2025).

Chiropractic Examiners

Telehealth/Telemedicine – Defined by Tenn. Code Ann. 63-1-155(a)(3).

Telehealth Provider – Means a healthcare service provider engaged in the delivery of healthcare services through telehealth.

SOURCE: TN Rule 0620-02-.01, (Accessed Apr. 2025).