PURPOSE
This document provides essential information about MedGrocer’s Wellness Program (“program”) teleconsult services, your rights and responsibilities as a service user (“client”), the rights and responsibilities of Healthcare Professionals affiliated with MedGrocer (“HCP”), and important guidelines to ensure a safe and effective therapeutic process. This aims to obtain your informed consent as a client as you participate in the program with the HCPs affiliated with MedGrocer.
NATURE OF THE PROGRAM
A teleconsult enables communication between the HCPs and clients for diagnosis, assessment, treatment, education, management, and follow-up care. Services provided may include counseling, psychotherapy, crisis management, medication management, and other wellness-related interventions. The team of HCPs may consist of psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, nutritionists, social workers, physicians, and other wellness service providers.
Teleconsults will be conducted using secure electronic communication channels—such as audio, video, chat, or other approved platforms—via electronic devices like laptops, desktops, smartphones, or tablets.
Benefits
Accessibility. A teleconsult provides you the accessibility and flexibility to manage your mental health and overall wellness at your convenience when face-to-face consults are not accessible. Teleconsults are free for active members enrolled in the program. You can consult with the HCPs, obtain necessary documents (e.g. consult summaries, prescriptions), and avail other services under the program without any fees.
Guidance. You may receive guidance on maintaining your wellness, specific recommendations for your treatment plan, and instructions on coping strategies or therapeutic exercises. You may also be given documents (e.g. client summaries, handouts) to guide you outside of your teleconsults.
Risks
Technology-related Risks. Teleconsults may be disrupted by technical issues such as unstable internet connections, electricity failure, platform malfunctions, or equipment failures. These disruptions can interrupt sessions, leading to potential miscommunication or delays in care. While the HCPs will take all necessary steps to ensure a smooth teleconsult, they cannot be held responsible for unforeseen technical issues or delays beyond their control.
Privacy Risks. While we use secure platforms to safeguard your privacy, there remains a risk of unauthorized access leading to a breach of privacy and confidentiality. Additionally, privacy can be at risk if others overhear or observe your session within your teleconsult environment. While the HCPs will take all necessary precautions to prevent these risks, they cannot be held responsible for data breaches caused by unauthorized access or other unforeseen technological issues.
Limitations
Lack of Physical Presence. The absence of in-person interaction during teleconsults limits the ability to fully observe non-verbal cues, such as body language and facial expressions, or conduct physical examinations if needed. These elements are often crucial for therapeutic connection and accurate assessment and diagnosis. Therefore, in-person consultations may be recommended outside of the Wellness Program to provide comprehensive care and appropriate interventions for complex conditions or emergencies.
Impact on Quality of Care. The quality of teleconsults may be influenced by factors like video and audio quality, internet speed, and background noise. Some therapeutic interventions may be less effective in an online setting, and in urgent situations, immediate in-person assistance may be required.
Service Limitations. The HCPs are committed to providing the highest level of care during teleconsults, but certain limitations exist when offering services remotely. If urgent medical attention is necessary, the HCPs will refer you to the nearest hospital. The MedGrocer Wellness Team will assist in transitioning you to appropriate in-person care, but is not responsible with managing hospitalizations or providing emergency medical treatment.
ETHICS AND CONFIDENTIALITY
The information disclosed and obtained in any of the teleconsult forms and during teleconsults are collected, processed, and stored in a database, which shall be used and administered solely by MedGrocer and its partners throughout the duration of the program and in compliance with local data retention laws.
All client records and information are securely stored and can only be accessed by the MedGrocer Wellness Team. However, confidentiality is suspended when:
Use of Professional Records. The HCPs may take notes during teleconsults to document their assessment and monitor your therapeutic progress. Computer software and/or artificial intelligence models may assist in generating comprehensive client records. Teleconsults may also be recorded in audio and video formats for the purpose of improving service quality.
Your information will not be shared without your consent and all data will be securely stored. All forms of data will be disposed of and discarded in a secure manner that would prevent further processing after you terminate your wellness services or up to a maximum of 15 years per the recommendation of the Department of Health as stated in Administrative Order 2016-0002 “Privacy Guidelines on the Implementation of the Philippine Health Information Exchange.”
Duty to Warn. If the HCPs believe that you are in danger, physically, emotionally, or psychologically, from yourself or another person, you consent to the HCPs to warn the person in danger or contact any person in a position to prevent harm to yourself or another person, including law enforcement, medical personnel, or your emergency contacts. This authorization expires upon the end of engagement with the Wellness Program.
CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES
As a service user of the program, you are entrusted with several responsibilities to ensure the effectiveness of your care and the success of the therapeutic process.
Ensure Privacy of Environment. To ensure confidentiality during the teleconsult, you will need a secure electronic device and internet connection in a private space. We strongly advise against taking the teleconsult in public places to protect your psychological safety and facilitate clear communication throughout the session.
Attend Appointments on Time. You are expected to be in the provided teleconsult platform on time. If you are not on the teleconsult platform within 10-15 minutes of your schedule, your teleconsult will be cancelled.
Provide Accurate Information. You are responsible for providing accurate information about your mental and physical health before and during the teleconsult. This will help the HCPs plan their therapeutic interventions appropriately.
Show Respect to the HCPs. You are expected to treat the HCPs with respect throughout your engagement in the program. This includes being courteous, attentive, and considerate in your interactions. This also means valuing the professional boundaries set by the HCPs and adhering to the guidelines established for your sessions.
Do Not Record the Teleconsult. Please note that you are strictly prohibited from recording videos or taking photos during the teleconsult.
PROCEDURES
Booking a Teleconsult. To book a teleconsult, you must complete the booking form on our website. After submitting your response, you will receive a proposed schedule with details of the session. You must confirm your availability for the appointment through the email thread to secure the teleconsult schedule.
Attending your Scheduled Teleconsult. After submitting a request through the booking form and confirming your attendance, you will receive a link to a video-conferencing platform for your teleconsult. Please ensure that you join the call on time.
Post-Consult Documentation and Follow-up. After your teleconsult, you will receive relevant documents (e.g. consult summaries, prescriptions). If deemed necessary by the HCPs, you may be provided with a follow-up schedule and referred to other services within our program to support your ongoing care.
Late, Missed, or Cancelled Teleconsults. If you are more than 10-15 minutes late to your scheduled consult, your session will be considered missed. To reschedule, inform the MedGrocer Wellness Team by replying to the email trail where you confirmed your availability at least 24 hours before your schedule. Rescheduling less than 24 hours will be considered a missed consult.
Please note that we may review your eligibility to the program for repeatedly being late to or missing your scheduled teleconsults.
THIRD-PARTY INVOLVEMENT
If there is a need to involve third parties to ensure the continuity and quality of your care, such as referrals to specialists, or collaboration with other healthcare providers, your consent will be obtained where possible.
Our services may also use computer software and/or artificial intelligence models to improve care, including data analysis, recommendations, and record-keeping. Any data handled by these third parties for non-emergencies will be aggregated and anonymized to ensure your confidentiality.
VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION AND TERMINATION
Your participation in the program is entirely voluntary. You have the right to refuse any recommended treatment or to request in writing to withdraw from our services at any time without any penalty.
You have the right to request the termination of services at any time by submitting a written request to mentalhealth@medgrocer.com.
The HCPs may also terminate the therapeutic relationship if it is determined that you will no longer benefit from the wellness services, or if you or someone with whom you have a relationship threatens or endangers the HCPs. If there is a misalignment in the care provided by the HCPs, you can be reassigned to other HCPs.
MedGrocer may revoke your eligibility if there are intentional and recurring efforts on your part to disrupt the services, such as but not limited to abusing the services, missing teleconsults, harassing the HCPs, suggesting that the HCPs engage in unethical or illegal acts, and unreasonably triggering emergency processes.
CONTACT
If you have any questions, issues, or complaints regarding any of MedGrocer’s services, please contact mentalhealth@medgrocer.com.