AOTA-TELEHEALTH-ETHICS — AOTA Advisory: Ethical Considerations in Telehealth (2023)
What does AOTA-TELEHEALTH-ETHICS say?
Telehealth raises three major ethical considerations for OT practitioners: (1) INFORMED CONSENT — Must disclose: benefits, risks, potential outcomes, providers, alternatives, technology implications. Clients should know their rights (including right to refuse), organizational policies on retention/storage of recordings and electronic records. Risks include potential loss of privacy/confidentiality and technology limitations. (2) PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY — Use authentication or encryption technology per HIPAA. Consider presence of "care extenders" (family, e-helpers) in sessions. Be cautious with intimate services (dressing, bathing, toileting) — avoid client exposure on camera. Document informed consent for recording sessions. Ensure secure transmission and storage of all telehealth communications. (3) COMPETENCE — Practitioners must be competent in both the clinical area AND in telehealth technology/delivery. Seek training before providing telehealth services. Not all interventions are appropriate for telehealth — practitioners must use clinical judgment. State licensure requirements for the client's location must be followed. Relevant Code sections: Principle 3 (Autonomy — privacy, confidentiality, informed consent); Principle 1 (Beneficence — client welfare); Principle 2 (Nonmaleficence — avoiding harm through technology failures).
Official source: read the full text in the AOTA Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics (2025) (official document).