Edward D. Rickert quoted in article "Telemedicine bridging gap between doctor, patient"

Below is an excerpt:

The Federation of State Medical Boards wrote the compact. Seventeen states have implemented it and nine others, including Pennsylvania, have legislation or new laws pending, according to the website licenseportability.org.

Edward Rickert, a partner at Quarles & Brady LLP, a national law firm based in Chicago that specializes in health information technology, said the compact offers an expedited pathway to licensure for qualified physicians who wish to practice in multiple states, increasing access to health care for patients in underserved or rural areas and allowing them to more easily connect with medical experts.

According to Rickert, the proposal has yet to fully gain steam but is a step in the right direction.

"Not a lot of states have signed up for that [but] it's worked well for nursing," he said. "Twenty-five states have telenursing compacts that allow nurses to practice across state lines."

Originally published in Pittsburgh Business Times, August 1, 2016