Sec. 10.36.10.04. Standards of Practice for Telepsychology

A. Before providing telepsychology services, a psychologist or psychology associate shall develop and follow a procedure to:

(1) Verify the identification of the client receiving telepsychology services;

(2) Obtain informed consent specific to telepsychology services using appropriate language understandable to the client;

(3) Prevent access to data by unauthorized persons through encryption, or other means;

(4) Notify clients in the event of a data breach;

(5) Ensure that the telepsychology practitioner provides a secure and private telepsychology connection and complies with federal and state privacy laws;

(6) Establish safety protocols to be used in the case of an emergency, including contact information for emergency services at the client’s location; and

(7) Ensure that any psychological testing instruments used are designed, validated, or appropriate for use via telepsychology.

B. A psychologist or psychology associate shall:

(1) Obtain or confirm an alternative method of contacting the client in case of a technological failure;

(2) Determine whether the client is in Maryland and identify the client’s specific location;

(3) For an initial telepsychology interaction only, disclose the psychologist’s or psychology associate’s name, location, license number, and contact information;

(4) Identify all individuals present at each location and confirm they are permitted to hear the client’s health information; and

(5) Be held to the same standards of practice and documentation as those applicable for in-person sessions.

C. A psychologist or psychology associate may not treat a client based solely on an online questionnaire.