Telehealth Authorization and Consent

 Last Edited: December 12, 2022

You will not be able to use our services until after you have read the following Telehealth Authorization and Consent (“Telehealth Authorization and Consent”), determined that our services are right for you, and provided your informed consent. If you have any questions about these matters, please send us a message through our website or email us atConcierge@ChooseSerenity.com. Pioneer Preventative Care Group (the “Group” or “we”) is a medical group that delivers services and information through a telehealth technology platform (the “Platform”) to guide clients in predicting health risks and identifying personalized treatment and prevention strategies. Group’s clinical professionals will recommend health management strategies that clients are then encouraged to review with their primary care providers or other doctors.

1. NOT FOR EMERGENCIES: Group does not provide medical care on an emergency basis anywhere at any time, and is not a substitute for a consultation with your physician (primary care or specialist).  Please do not delay seeking care in a medical emergency because of pending communication with the Group. In an emergency, dial 911 for emergency services or go to a hospital emergency department.
2. NO DUTY OF CARE: Please note that the Group does not take responsibility for your health or ongoing care. Instead, we provide a highly focused, next generation perspective and approach, offering resources, information, and recommendations for you and your doctor to consider.
3. RIGHT TO DECLINE CLIENT:Please understand that the Group reserves the right to refuse to provide services if, in our professional judgment, you are not a good candidate for our services. Visiting the Group’s website and making a payment, starting a visit, or sending a message to us does not impose a duty of care on the Group or create a provider-patient relationship.
4. NO PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE: Please note that our Platform content should not be treated as professional medical advice, but rather it is informational only and serves as a means to provide recommendations for you and your independent doctor to consider in selecting the appropriate response to your medical needs.  At no time should you disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking medical attention because of something you have read on our website, app, or other communications.
5. AGREEMENT TO REVIEW ALL CONTENT: You understand that you must read and understand this Telehealth Authorization as well as the and all other information provided about specific services before you begin interacting and using our platform.Additionally by agreeing to the Telehealth Authorization and Consent you are agreeing to be bound by theTerms of Use available athttps://chooseserenity.com/pages/terms-conditions andPrivacy Policy available at https://chooseserenity.com/policies/privacy-policy.  
6. AGREEMENT TO ANSWER TRUTHFULLY AND USE OUR PLATFORM HONESTLY:You understand that by, using our Platform, you accept the responsibility to provide full and truthful answers to all questions and, when requested, to provide all other data in the most accurate form possible. Group relies exclusively upon information that you provide to decide whether or not treatment is safe and appropriate, and, if you provide incorrect information, then you will be at greater risk of adverse events from any treatment that the provider recommends and you receive that isn't necessary, appropriate, or safe. It is important that you do not create more than one account. Creating more than one account makes it impossible for the Group to see the full history of services that you have received from us. This increases the chances that the Group will not have access to important information in your medical record that could influence the provider’s clinical decision.
7. BENEFITS AND RISKS OF USING OUR SERVICE:We offer resources, information, and recommendations from a different perspective and approach than that of a traditional medical group. In using our Platform, you accept a greater responsibility to read and understand information throughout the Platform about the limitations of telemedicine, the risks of seeking health care information this way, and the risks and benefits of a proposed treatment plan. Specifically, you agree to the following risks as outlined in Sections 8-13.
8. CONSENT TO TELEMEDICINE.  You consent to consultation by means of electronic communications to enable health care professionals at different locations to share your individual patient medical information for diagnosis, therapy, follow-up, and/or education purposes.  You consent to Group forwarding your information to third parties as may be needed to receive telemedicine services, and you understand that existing confidentiality protections apply.  You acknowledge that while telemedicine can be used to provide improved access to medical care, as with any medical procedure, there are potential risks and no results can be guaranteed or assured. These risks include, but are not limited to: technical problems with the information transmission; equipment failures that could result in lost information or delays in communications.  You have the right to withhold or withdraw your consent to the use of telemedicine in the course of your care at any time.
9. NEED TO SEEK OTHER SOURCES OF CARE FOR OTHER MEDICAL NEEDS: You will need to seek other sources of care and/or advice for medical needs not disclosed on the Platform or discussed with our personnel, or for which our personnel may be unable to address.
10. DELAY: There may be a delay until the next business day before a provider reviews any request for treatment and reads any messages sent. You must check the Platform for messages because this is the way that the provider will communicate important information. Failure to check the Platform regularly may delay the services we provide.
11. NO IN-PERSON EXAM: By using our telemedicine platform, you will not have a traditional in-person consultation and physical examination with a doctor that might identify a medical condition that needs further investigation or immediate treatment.
12. RISKS TO ELECTRONIC HEALTH INFORMATION: You understand that although we implement a wide range of administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect health information and comply with HIPAA, we cannot guarantee the privacy and confidentiality of all health information. For more details about how we protect and use your health information and comply with HIPAA, see our Privacy Policy.
13. CONSENT TO COMMUNICATE VIA UNENCRYPTED EMAIL: Our experience is that the overwhelming majority of clients wish to communicate with us via email, even if unencrypted email does not meet HIPAA standards. In signing this consent, you give us permission to use or disclose your medical information to you via the regular email address you provide to us. You acknowledge that we are communicating in this manner irrespective of HIPAA requirements solely at your direction. You may revoke that permission in writing at any time, in which event we will stop any further use or disclosure of your medical information by email, except to the extent we have already acted in reliance on your permission. You understand that we are unable to take back any disclosure we have already made with your permission and that we are required to retain our records of the communications prior to any revocation of authorization to utilize email in communicating with you.  If at any time you provide an email address or cellphone number at which you can be contacted, then you consent to receiving unsecure instructions and other healthcare communications at that email or text number (text messaging rates may apply).
14. IMPORTANCE OF READING ALL THE INFORMATION WE PROVIDE:You understand that we provide detailed information in the Platform to help you and your doctor make an informed decision about whether to accept a proposed recommendation from the Group on this platform. The most important information about a recommended treatment plan is in the link that the Group will send. This information includes detailed information to help you and your doctor decide if the benefits of the treatment plan outweigh the risks, given the alternative options available to you, which includes the option of not taking any treatment. You understand the importance of reading the information the Group provides about adverse events, as this will ensure that you seek appropriate medical attention in a timely manner.
15. RISKS OF ACCEPTING TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS:You understand that all recommendations that the Group may make should be reviewed by you with a physician who understands and can advise you and help you make the right decisions for your health. You understand that it is your responsibility to make an informed decision in consultation with your physician(s) whether to accept a treatment recommendation that the Group proposes after weighing the risks and benefits, alternative treatment options and the risks and benefits of such alternatives, and the option of not seeking any treatment. You understand the importance of reading the information that comes with any health product, because it may include important information about health risks and safety warnings. You understand that adverse events can be caused by a number of things, including an allergic reaction, side effects, or interactions between a medicine, dietary supplement or course of treatment that the Group recommends and any medical conditions you may have, other medical conditions, prescription medicines or other things (e.g., supplements, herbs, over-the-counter medicines, or recreational drugs) you are taking, and lifestyle choices such as smoking tobacco products or drinking alcohol. If you do not understand anything in this Consent or have any other questions, be sure to ask us and your outside doctor. If you go forward with treatment, we will assume that you understood and were able to discuss your questions and concerns with your healthcare provider and/or other advisors to your satisfaction.