Informed consent
Virtual care has limits.
You should know them first.
Before a virtual visit, you are asked to read and agree to this consent. You can ask questions and you can withdraw at any time.
What virtual care can do
- A physician can take a history, review information you provide, observe you by video and give advice for many common concerns.
- A physician may be able to issue a prescription, a referral, a requisition or a medical document where an appropriate assessment supports it.
- Visits may take place by video, by telephone, or by secure message, depending on what is clinically appropriate.
What virtual care cannot do
- A physician cannot physically examine you, listen to your heart or lungs, or perform tests during a virtual visit.
- Some conditions cannot be safely assessed without an in-person examination, laboratory work or imaging.
- The physician may decide at any point that virtual care is not appropriate and recommend in-person care, an urgent-care visit or an emergency department. This is a clinical decision, not a refusal of service.
- A virtual visit does not guarantee a prescription, a note, a form, a referral or any particular outcome.
Your location during the visit
Physicians are generally licensed by province or territory, and the rules usually look at where the patient is physically located at the time of care. You must be physically present in a province or territory where the assigned physician is authorized to practise for the entire visit. Some regulators allow narrow exceptions; these are confirmed case by case and are not a general nationwide licence.
You will be asked to confirm your current location at the start of each visit. If you are outside an authorized jurisdiction, including when travelling outside Canada, the visit cannot proceed.
Identity verification
To protect you and your record, we verify your identity before care. This may include confirming your name, date of birth and contact details, and viewing government-issued identification. Where insured billing applies, your provincial or territorial health card may also be verified. A physician may stop a visit if identity cannot be confirmed.
Privacy and security risks
We use technical and administrative safeguards, but no electronic communication is completely free of risk. You should understand that:
- Video and telephone calls can be overheard if you are not in a private place. Choose a private setting and use your own device where you can.
- Messages, notifications and downloaded documents may be visible to others who use your device or email account.
- Shared, workplace or public Wi-Fi and devices carry more risk than private ones.
- Ordinary email and text messages are not used to send clinical details.
Read the Clinical privacy notice for how your information is handled.
Recording
Clinical visits are not recorded. Audio or video of a clinical visit would only be recorded with a separate, explicit, written consent for a specific purpose, and you may refuse without affecting your care. You must not record a visit without the physician’s agreement. The physician’s written clinical notes are part of your medical record; that is not a recording.
Emergencies
Virtual care is not an emergency service. Call 911 for a medical emergency. If you are thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8 at any time. If an emergency arises during a visit, the physician may ask for your exact location so help can be directed to you.
Minors and substitute decision-makers
Accounts are for adults aged 18 or older. Care for a minor is only provided under a separate policy approved by the responsible physician, with a parent, guardian or other authorized person involved as the law requires. Rules about when a young person can consent to their own care vary by jurisdiction; in many provinces capacity depends on understanding rather than a fixed age, and in Quebec a minor aged 14 or older can generally consent alone to care required by their state of health.
If you act for someone else as a substitute decision-maker, you may be asked to confirm your authority. The physician will involve the patient in decisions as far as possible.
Your right to withdraw
Your consent is voluntary. You may decline or withdraw consent to virtual care at any time, including during a visit, and ask for information about in-person options. Withdrawing does not affect your right to access your existing record.
How your consent is recorded
When you agree, the platform records the version of this consent you accepted, the date and time, and the account that accepted it. That record is kept in your clinical file. If this consent changes materially, you will be asked to review and accept the new version before your next visit.