The Texas Medical Board will meet Thursday to consider a 21st-century question: How should the state regulate doctor-patient relationships when they exist only in cyberspace and, in some cases, across state lines? The meeting follows an intense legal battle between the state and one of its largest telemedicine companies. Three weeks ago, Dallas-based Teladoc won a temporary restraining order against the medical board, which had issued an emergency rule seeking to limit the company's operations. It's the latest in an ongoing debate about the practice of telemedicine, in which doctors make diagnoses, and sometimes write prescriptions, after consulting with patients by phone or on the internet.
In a social media landscape shaped by hashtags, algorithms, and viral posts, nurse leaders must decide: Will they let the narrative spiral, or can they adapt and join the conversation?
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