Over the years, telemedicine, also known as telehealth, has become a popular way for physicians to provide care, particularly in rural locations where providers are scarce. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) defines telemedicine as "the provision of clinical services to patients from a distance via electronic communications." (76 Fed. Reg. 25, 551). Some examples of telemedicine include video conferencing, utilization of electronic health records, and remote monitoring of a patient's vital signs. Hospital leaders are now looking at how to implement virtual care at their facilities even in urban areas. As a research legal analyst, you want to provide standards that are evidence-based to make sure that these hospitals are in federal and state compliance with Physician Credentialing for Telemedicine; ensuring that they have good doctors providing the best patient care in addressing:

1. What are some of the legal issues and challenges associated with telemedicine?
2. How are physicians credentialed to practice telemedicine?
3. Are there any particular cases that provide legal guidance on physician credentialing for telemedicine?
4. Can you identify a health care organization that relies on telemedicine to deliver patient care?
5. From an operational perspective, how do hospitals ensure regulatory compliance when utilizing telemedicine?