Note: This is a general overview of Board regulations only.  Refer to the full OT Act and Rules for further Board regulations.

Telehealth may be used as a mode of service delivery for the provision of occupational therapy services by occupational therapy practitioners (OTs and OTAs licensed by the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners) with clients located in Texas at the time of the provision of services. 

The OT Rules do not require that the OT or OTA be located in Texas at the time of the provision of occupational therapy services via telehealth.  The client must be located in Texas at the time of the provision of occupational therapy services.

As excerpted from the definition of telehealth in §362.1(36) of the OT Rules, “Telehealth refers only to the practice of occupational therapy by occupational therapy practitioners who are licensed by this Board with clients who are located in Texas at the time of the provision of occupational therapy services,” and as per §362.1(33), “the site of practice is the location in Texas where the client is located at the time of the provision of services.”

It is the responsibility of the occupational therapy practitioner to ensure that all technologies used for telehealth meet the requirements in the OT Act and Rules. 

An occupational therapy practitioner when using telehealth, as when using any mode of occupational therapy service delivery, must be in compliance with the full OT Act and Rules. 

§362.1, Definitions; §372.1, Provision of Services; and §374.4, Code of Ethics, for example, contain Board regulations concerning the provision of services via telehealth.  Refer to the full OT Act and Rules for further Board regulations. 

Please note that the information above pertains only to Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners’ regulations concerning telehealth.  The OT Act and Rules do not contain sections that are specific to different payer sources or practice settings, for example.

Note, furthermore, that the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners issues licenses for the practice of occupational therapy with clients located in Texas at the time of the provision of services.  For questions regarding licensure and practice in other states, contact the licensing and regulatory bodies of those states.