This is what a patient agrees to when they take an online visit through a brand that runs on SWONKDOG. The same consent is shown, and must be accepted, inside the intake before any personal detail is asked for. It is written here so it can be read first, and read again.
1. What telehealth is
Telehealth means a licensed clinician reviews your health information online, and may speak with you by video or message, instead of seeing you in a room. Through a SWONKDOG partner it works like this: you answer the health questions for the treatment you are asking about, you give the details needed to identify you and to ship to you, and a licensed clinician reviews everything and decides.
2. Who provides the care
Clinical care is provided by licensed clinicians affiliated with independent physician groups, licensed in the state you live in. The brand you started with is not your clinician and does not make treatment decisions. Every prescription names the clinician who wrote it, and you can reach your clinician through the patient portal.
3. What telehealth cannot do
A clinician reviewing you online cannot examine you in person, and some conditions cannot be treated this way. The clinician may ask for more information, lab work or a video visit before deciding, and may decide that treatment is not appropriate for you. Some states require a live video visit before a first prescription; where that applies, the intake books one. Technology can fail, and there is a small risk that electronic communication is delayed or intercepted despite the safeguards we use.
4. Treatment is not guaranteed
Completing an intake or choosing a program does not guarantee treatment. Prescription medication is provided only when a licensed clinician determines it is clinically appropriate. If it is not, you are told why in the patient portal, and you are not charged for medication.
5. Compounded medications
If your clinician prescribes a compounded medication, it is prepared by a licensed pharmacy for you individually. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved; the FDA does not evaluate them for safety, effectiveness or quality. The pharmacy operates under state and federal oversight, and your clinician decides whether a compounded or a brand product is appropriate.
6. Emergencies
Telehealth is not for emergencies. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Neither SWONKDOG nor the brands it serves provide emergency care.
7. Your information
Your health information is used to provide your care, to fill your prescription, to run a lab test and to take payment, and for nothing else. It is protected under HIPAA and handled as the privacy and HIPAA notice describes. The clinician, the pharmacy that fills your prescription and the laboratory that runs a panel each see what they need for their part. Your portal shows you the physician group and clinician for each visit and the pharmacy for each order, with their contact details.
8. Your responsibilities
You confirm that you are 18 or older, that you are the person who will receive the treatment, and that the information you give is accurate and complete. You agree to tell your clinician about every medication, supplement and condition, and to read what your clinician writes to you in the portal.
9. Withdrawing consent
You may withdraw this consent at any time by stopping the intake, by not accepting a treatment that is offered, or by writing to your clinician in the portal. Withdrawing does not affect care already given. What refunds apply is in the refunds and cancellations page.
10. Questions
Medical questions or side effects: message your clinician in the patient portal. You can also report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. In an emergency, call 911. For questions about an account, a charge or a refund, email support@swonkdog.co. The terms of service apply to everything on this page.