Veterinary telemedicine in Brazil: a guide to CFMV Resolution No. 1,465/2022

CFMV Resolution No. 1,465, of June 27, 2022, is the rule that regulates the use of veterinary telemedicine in Brazil, in force since July 1, 2022. It defines veterinary telemedicine as the practice of veterinary medicine through information and communication technologies (ICTs) and recognizes six modalities: teleconsultation, telemonitoring, teletriage, teleorientation, teleinterconsultation and telediagnosis. In all of them, responsibility for the act lies entirely with the veterinarian, and in-person care remains the gold standard (Art. 2 and Art. 3).

Notice: informational content, not legal advice

This text summarizes and organizes the content of CFMV Resolution No. 1,465/2022 for educational purposes. It does not replace reading the rule in full, nor does it constitute legal advice. Interpretation and the decision to use each modality rest with the responsible veterinarian, who must consider the Code of Ethics, current regulations and the specific case. When in doubt, consult the regional council (CRMV) in your jurisdiction and legal counsel.

The six modalities and what each one allows

The Resolution recognizes six modalities, each with its own purpose and limits set out in Art. 4. Teleorientation (item VII) is general and initial guidance at a distance, with any kind of diagnostic definition or therapeutic conduct being prohibited. Teletriage (item VIII) is intended to identify and classify situations that indicate the possibility of a teleconsultation or the need for in-person care. For both, Art. 8 requires the professional to inform in advance that this is not a consultation, prohibiting diagnosis, requests for tests and any prescription.

Teleconsultation (item II) is the remote consultation when the veterinarian and patient are not in the same geographic location, except in cases of urgency and emergency. Telemonitoring (item XI), also called televigilance, is the continuous follow-up of physiological parameters under veterinary guidance and supervision. Teleinterconsultation (item IX) takes place exclusively between veterinarians, to exchange information and opinions for diagnostic or therapeutic support. Telediagnosis (item X) is the transmission of data and images for remote interpretation between veterinarians, with the goal of issuing a report or opinion.

Important note: CFMV Resolution No. 1,465/2022 does not list telesurgery among its modalities. Where the term appears in other contexts, it does not correspond to a category provided for in this rule. Any practice of that kind must therefore be assessed in light of the applicable regulations and the decision of the responsible veterinarian.

The prior relationship (RPVAR): when it is required and when it is waived

The Resolution creates the Prior Veterinary-Animal-Responsible Relationship (RPVAR), defined in Art. 4, III as the written and formal relationship between the veterinarian registered in the CFMV/CRMVs System and the person responsible for the patient, whose prior in-person care of the animal is documented through a medical record. Under Art. 7, a veterinary teleconsultation may only take place when an RPVAR has been established in person and duly recorded, and it is prohibited in cases of urgency and emergency.

There are specific exceptions and safeguards. Art. 7, paragraph 2 waives the RPVAR requirement for teleconsultation in cases of disaster, provided the professional records that it is an exceptional situation and only while in-person care remains impossible. Telemonitoring (Art. 9) is only possible after prior in-person care, in chronic diseases or during recovery from a clinical or surgical procedure; in chronic or long-term follow-up, an in-person consultation with the attending veterinarian must occur at intervals no longer than 180 days.

Responsibility, the report and electronic signature

Responsibility is a central pillar of the rule. Art. 3 gives the veterinarian autonomy to decide whether or not to use telemedicine, and makes them fully responsible for the act, bounded by beneficence and non-maleficence toward the patient. In teleinterconsultation, the sole paragraph of Art. 10 establishes that responsibility for care lies with the veterinarian who attends the animal in person, with the others answering in proportion to their involvement.

In telediagnosis, Art. 11 determines that the report or opinion must be signed electronically, with an advanced electronic signature, by the veterinarians who provided the service. The Resolution defines, in Art. 4, the advanced electronic signature (item XII) and the qualified one (item XIII). Added to this is the Free and Informed Consent Form for Veterinary Telemedicine (Art. 6 and Annex I), required whenever information is shared for teleinterconsultation and telediagnosis, along with obligations regarding security, confidentiality and the safekeeping of information as part of the medical record (Art. 13).

Where ECG telereporting fits

Interpreting an electrocardiogram at a distance tends to fall under telediagnosis (Art. 4, X): the exam is recorded in one place, the data and tracing are transmitted digitally, and a veterinarian, usually with cardiology expertise, interprets the signal and issues the report. In this scenario, Art. 11 (report or opinion with the advanced electronic signature of the veterinarian providing the service) and Art. 6 (Consent Form when information is shared) apply directly. It is worth noting that telediagnosis, in the Resolution, is described as transmission between veterinarians, which reinforces its nature as professional-to-professional support.

In practice, this supports the telecardiology workflow: the attending veterinarian performs the exam in person, within an already established clinical relationship, and the tracing is sent for specialized remote reporting, returning electronically signed and integrated into the medical record. INpulse's telereporting solution was designed to operate within this logic, connecting ECG acquisition to the cardiologist who interprets and signs. The decision about when and how to use each modality, however, always rests with the responsible veterinarian, in accordance with the Resolution and other applicable rules.

Practical summary

In summary: veterinary telemedicine is permitted in Brazil within clear rules. In-person care is the gold standard; teleconsultation requires the RPVAR and is prohibited in urgency and emergency; teleorientation and teletriage do not allow diagnosis, tests or prescription; telemonitoring presupposes prior in-person care; and telediagnosis, the modality into which ECG telereporting usually fits, requires an electronically signed report. Above all, responsibility and the decision lie with the veterinarian, and technology should serve to expand access to cardiology with safety and traceability.