W. Va. Code R. § 13-9-2 - [Effective 7/1/2025] Definitions

2.1. "Board" means the West Virginia Board of Occupational Therapy established pursuant to W. Va. Code § 30-28-1 et seq.

2.2. "Occupational Therapist" or "Occupational Therapy Assistant" means a person licensed by the board or holding a compact privilege to practice occupational therapy in West Virginia.

2.3. "Store and forward" means the asynchronous communication of medical data or images from an originating location to an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant at another site for the purpose of therapeutic assistance.

2.4. "Telehealth" is the application of evaluative, consultative, preventative, and therapeutic services delivered through telecommunication and information technologies. Occupational therapy services provided by means of a telehealth service delivery model can be synchronous, that is, delivered through interactive technologies in real time, or asynchronous, using store-and-forward technologies. Telehealth is considered the same as teletherapy, telerehabilitation, and telepractice in various settings and for the purpose of this rule.

2.5. "Telehealth technologies" means technologies and devices which enable secure electronic communications and information exchange in the practice of telehealth, and typically involve the application of secure real-time audio/video conferencing or similar secure video services or store and forward digital image technology to provide occupational therapy services by replicating the interaction of a traditional in-person encounter between an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant and a patient.

Notes

W. Va. Code R. § 13-9-2