Can the pre-treatment exam be done by telehealth in Alabama?
Intake · part of The Practice Perimeter
Short answer
Yes — a physician may form the patient relationship and reach a diagnosis by telemedicine without a prior in-person exam, so long as it uses acceptable medical practices, including any history, physical, or testing the in-person service would require.
A physician practicing telemedicine shall establish a diagnosis through the use of acceptable medical practices, which may include taking a patient history, a mental status examination, a physical examination, disclosure and evaluation of underlying conditions, and diagnostic and laboratory testing, if that would otherwise be required in the provision of the same service delivered in person; and the physician-patient relationship may be formed without a prior in-person examination.
Ala. Code § 34-24-703(b)(1), (d) · verified Sep 8, 2026 · regulatory monitoring, not legal advice
Related Alabama rules
(3) Selection criteria to screen patients for the appropriateness of non-ablative treatments;
Ala. Admin. Code r. 540-X-11-.05(3) (Written protocols — patient selection) · verified Sep 4, 2026
(a) Ensuring that patients are adequately informed and, prior to treatment, have signed consent forms that outline Risks, Benefits, Alternatives, and Complications, including the disclosure of reasonably foreseeable side effects and complications that may result from the non-ablative treatment, as well as the name of the device and the procedure;
Ala. Admin. Code r. 540-X-11-.04(2)(a) (Delegation and supervision — informed consent) · verified Sep 4, 2026
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