01 What you are consenting to
You are consenting to receive healthcare by video rather than in person. You are also consenting to your practitioner collecting, recording and keeping health information about you for that purpose.
The form you sign puts it like this. By submitting this form, you consent to the collection and use of your personal and health information in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions. You also consent to receiving healthcare services via telehealth, as outlined in our service agreement.
Consent is not permanent. You can withdraw it at any point, including during an appointment, and you can ask to be seen in person instead.
02 Who can consent
You must be at least 18 years of age and physically located in Australia at the time of the appointment.
If you would like someone to help you decide, you are welcome to bring them. If someone holds a legal authority to make health decisions for you, tell us at the start so we can record it.
03 Identity and location
At the start of a consultation your practitioner confirms who you are and where you are. Your first appointment is a video call, so your practitioner can see you and check your identification.
This is a safety requirement. It establishes that you are in Australia, that emergency help could reach you if it were needed, and that your notes go on the right record.
You may be asked to confirm your full name, your date of birth and your current address, and to show photographic identification.
04 Who else is present
Please take the appointment somewhere you can speak freely. We cannot control the privacy of the room you are in or the network you are on.
Your practitioner will tell you if anyone else is present at their end, and will ask whether anyone is present at yours.
You are welcome to have a support person, a carer or an interpreter with you. Say so at the start so it can be noted in your record.
05 The limits of a remote assessment
A practitioner cannot physically examine you over video. Some conditions cannot be assessed, diagnosed or safely treated remotely, and your practitioner will say so when that is the case.
Telehealth is not suitable for all concerns. Your practitioner may recommend in-person assessment, urgent care, GP review, a referral to another doctor, further investigation or no treatment, depending on your circumstances.
Here are two examples. Many injury and recovery concerns need a hands-on examination. Telehealth is not appropriate for assessing a mole or a suspicious skin lesion.
Aurem is not an emergency service and is not monitored continuously. In an emergency, call 000. For crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
06 Recording
We do not record consultations unless there is a specific clinical reason. We never record without asking you first and noting your answer in the record.
Where transcription software is used to help write notes, your practitioner will tell you, and you can ask them not to use it.
You must not record a consultation without your practitioner's knowledge and agreement.
07 If the technology fails
Sometimes a connection drops. If that happens, your practitioner will try to reconnect the video call.
If the appointment cannot be completed safely, we will reschedule it and you will not be charged twice.
You are responsible for having a device, a connection and a private space that are good enough for the appointment.
08 Your information
Health information collected during a consultation is handled under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles and applicable state health records legislation. Our privacy policy sets out the detail, including how long we keep clinical records and how to see yours.
With your consent, relevant information can be shared with your usual GP or another treating practitioner so your care stays joined up. You can decline, and it does not affect the care you receive.
Confidentiality has limits set by law. Those limits are listed in our terms of service, and they cover serious risk of harm, child protection, mandatory notifications under the National Law, and court orders.
09 The outcome is a clinical decision
Consenting to telehealth does not entitle you to any particular treatment.
A prescription is one possible outcome, and it is issued only where your practitioner deems it medically appropriate. These outcomes are all normal too: advice and lifestyle guidance, further investigation, a referral to your GP or another doctor, scheduled monitoring and review, and no treatment.
Every plan has a review booked. Your practitioner sets the timing at your appointment. Whether to continue is decided again at that review. It never renews automatically.
Assessment findings do not guarantee a particular outcome.
10 What it costs and what happens if you miss it
The fee for the appointment is shown before you confirm the booking. Cancellation and non-attendance are covered in our terms of service.
Anything ordered as a result of your appointment, such as pathology or a medicine, is charged by that provider and is not part of the appointment fee.
11 Withdrawing consent
You can withdraw consent to telehealth at any time by telling your practitioner or contacting us. You do not have to give a reason.
Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of care already given, and it does not remove records we are required by law to keep.
If you are on a treatment, tell your practitioner that you want to stop so they can advise you whether anything needs to be stopped gradually.
