RESPIRATORY THERAPY LICENSURE BOARD
Mission Statement
To promote the public health, safety, and welfare; to promote the highest degree of professional conduct on the part of persons providing respiratory care and polysomnography to the public; and to assure the availability of services of high quality to persons in need of such services, by the licensure and regulation of persons offering respiratory care and polysomnography services to the public.
The Respiratory Care Licensure Board is an advisory body to the State Board of Medicine. The Respiratory Care Licensure Board is responsible to review all applications for the licensure and temporary permits of respiratory therapists and polysomnographers and make recommendations to the Board of Medicine concerning the issuance and revocation of licenses and temporary permits. They also recommend rules to be promulgated concerning respiratory practice.
The "performance of respiratory care" means respiratory care practiced or performed in accordance with the written, telephonic or verbal prescription of a licensed physician and includes, but is not limited to, the diagnostic and therapeutic use of the following: administration of medical gases, (except for the purpose of anesthesia), aerosols and humidification; environmental control mechanisms and hyperbaric therapy; pharmacologic agents related to respiratory care protocols; mechanical or physiological ventilatory support; bronchopulmonary hygiene; cardiopulmonary resuscitation; maintenance of the natural airway; insertion and maintenance of artificial airways; specific diagnostic and testing techniques employed in the medical management of patients to assist in diagnosis, monitoring, treatment and research of pulmonary abnormalities, including measurements of ventilatory volumes, pressures and flows, collection, reporting and analysis of specimens of blood and blood gases, arterial punctures, insertion and maintenance of arterial lines, expired and inspired gas samples, respiratory secretions, and pulmonary function testing; and hemodynamic and other related physiologic measurements of the cardiopulmonary system; observation and monitoring of signs and symptoms, general behavior, general physical response to respiratory care treatment and diagnostic testing and determination of whether such signs, symptoms, reactions, behavior or general response exhibit abnormal characteristics; implementation based on observed abnormalities of appropriate reporting or referral of respiratory care or changes in treatment regimen, pursuant to a prescription by a physician or the initiation of emergency procedures.
"Polysomnography related respiratory care services" means the limited practice of respiratory care in the provision of polysomnography services, under the supervision of an Idaho licensed physician, by a person at a sleep disorder center or laboratory who holds a permit issued by the board as a registered polysomnographic technologist or provisional polysomnographic technician, or who is otherwise licensed as a respiratory care practitioner or who is exempt from licensure.
Respiratory Therapists are regulated in Idaho and require licensure. Polysomnography technicians or technologists who provide polysomnography related respiratory care services are regulated and must hold a permit issued by the Board.
Board of Medicine Position Statement: Home Delivery and Setup of Respiratory Equipment, Supplies and Medications