(July 2, 2026) – In the June 19 issue of the Current Report newsletter, the Kansas Hospital Association shared the Direct Physician Supervision Regulation for Fluoroscopy communication from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's Bureau of Facilities and Licensing. The KHA staff received a number of questions about this communication and, in response, received the following additional information from KDHE, in which KDHE further explained that direct supervision can be provided in one of two ways:
- Having a qualified physician or advanced practice provider in the building who can respond immediately when needed. They don't necessarily need to be in the room where the test is being performed. The Medical Staff Bylaws should designate who is responsible for oversight and the designation of qualified personnel. Typically, qualified personnel have specialized training.
- Through telehealth with continuous two-way audio and video with a supervising practitioner throughout the procedure. This allows the practitioner to see, hear and respond appropriately (as of Jan. 1, 2026, per the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services).
Keep in mind that the procedure in question was speech therapy swallow studies using fluoroscopy. There may be fluoroscopy procedures for which direct supervision via telemedicine is not appropriate. Please reach out to Larry Van Der Wege at lvanderwege@kha-net.org if you have additional questions.
--Larry Van Der Wege