The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them under this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

(1) “Board” shall mean the State Board of Podiatry established in this chapter.

(2) “Diagnosis” shall mean the ascertainment of a disease or ailment by its general symptoms.

(3) “Distant site” means a site at which a health-care provider legally allowed to practice in the State is located while providing health-care services by means of telemedicine or telehealth.

(4) “Division” shall mean the State Division of Professional Regulation.

(5) “Electrical treatment” shall mean the administration of electricity to the foot and ankle by means of electrodes, machinery, rays and the like.

(6) “Excessive use or abuse of drugs” shall mean any use of narcotics, controlled substances or illegal drugs without a prescription from a licensed physician or the abuse of alcoholic beverages such that it impairs a person’s ability to perform the work of a podiatrist.

(7) “Manipulative treatment” shall mean the use of the hand or machinery in the operation of or working upon the foot and its articulations.

(8) “Mechanical treatment” shall mean the application of any mechanical appliance made of steel, leather, felt or any material to the foot or the shoe for the purpose of treating any disease, deformity or ailment.

(9) “Medical treatment” shall mean the application to or prescription for the foot and ankle of medicine, pads, adhesives, felt, plasters or any medicinal agency.

(10) “Originating site” means a site in Delaware at which a patient is located at the time health-care services are provided to him or her by means of telemedicine or telehealth, unless the term is otherwise defined with respect to the provision in which it is used; provided, however, notwithstanding any other provision of law, insurers and providers may agree to alternative siting arrangements deemed appropriate by the parties.

(11) “Podiatrist” shall mean a person who is qualified to practice podiatry and is licensed under this chapter.

(12) “Practice of podiatry” shall mean the diagnosis and the medical, surgical, mechanical, manipulative and electrical treatment of all ailments of the foot and ankle. As appropriate in regulation, these services may be performed with the use of telemedicine. Podiatry may also include participation in telehealth, as further defined in regulation. Amputation of the foot shall be restricted to state-licensed podiatrists who have completed an American Podiatric Medical Association accredited surgical residency program acceptable to the Board and have current amputation privileges, or have fulfilled the credentialing criteria of the surgical committee of the Joint Committee on Accreditation of Hospitals accredited hospital where the amputation is to be performed.

(13) “State” shall mean the State of Delaware.

(14) “Store and forward transfer” means the transmission of a patient’s medical information either to or from an originating site or to or from the provider at the distant site, but does not require the patient being present nor must it be in real time.

(15) “Substantially related” means the nature of the criminal conduct, for which the person was convicted, has a direct bearing on the fitness or ability to perform 1 or more of the duties or responsibilities necessarily related to podiatry.

(16) “Surgical treatment” shall mean the use of any cutting instrument to treat a disease, ailment or condition.

(17) “Telehealth” means the use of information and communications technologies consisting of telephones, remote patient monitoring devices or other electronic means which support clinical health care, provider consultation, patient and professional health-related education, public health, health administration, and other services as described in regulation.

(18) “Telemedicine” means the delivery of clinical health-care services by means of real time 2-way audio, visual, or other telecommunications or electronic communications, including the application of secure video conferencing or store and forward transfer technology to provide or support health-care delivery, which facilitate the assessment, diagnosis, consultation, treatment, education, care management and self-management of a patient’s health care by a licensee practicing within his or her scope of practice as would be practiced in-person with a patient and with other restrictions as defined in regulation.

33 Del. Laws, c. 66, § 2; 40 Del. Laws, c. 108, § 2; Code 1935, § 5385; 24 Del. C. 1953, § 501; 53 Del. Laws, c. 315, § 1; 61 Del. Laws, c. 356, § 1; 64 Del. Laws, c. 39, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 72 Del. Laws, c. 213, § 1; 74 Del. Laws, c. 262, § 12; 80 Del. Laws, c. 80, § 7.