Telehealth and POPIA agreement

Please read this document carefully before confirming your appointment or commencing a virtual consultation with hidoc.co.za. This agreement contains crucial medical and legal information regarding the nature, benefits, inherent limitations, and appropriate use of telehealth services.

By clicking “I Agree”, booking an appointment, or joining a virtual room with a healthcare practitioner on hidoc.co.za, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and consented to the terms and conditions outlined below.

What telehealth can and cannot do

Telehealth is healthcare delivered while you and the doctor are in different places. An HPCSA-registered doctor can take your history, make observations reasonably possible by video, explain options and agree next steps. Video cannot provide palpation, auscultation, direct vital-sign measurements or other hands-on examination. The doctor may stop the remote assessment and direct you to a GP, specialist or emergency unit in person.

This service is intended for adult, non-emergency primary care, suitable minor illnesses, follow-up care and medication review. A prescription, medical certificate, referral or test request is issued only when clinically justified. It is never guaranteed by booking or payment.

Emergencies and mental-health crises

Do not use hiDoc for severe chest pain, serious breathing difficulty, stroke symptoms, loss of consciousness, severe bleeding or trauma, anaphylaxis, rapidly worsening illness, acute psychosis, self-harm or suicidal thoughts. Call 112 from a mobile phone or 10177, or attend the nearest emergency unit.

Your information

You must provide complete and truthful information about symptoms, medical history, allergies, current medicines, recent prescriptions and any risk of self-harm. The doctor relies on that history because physical examination is limited. Deliberately withholding or falsifying information can make remote care unsafe, but it does not remove the doctor’s professional duty to assess what you report and apply clinical judgment.

Clinical records and dictation

Your doctor records clinically relevant notes in your patient record and may use speech-to-text and an AI drafting service to prepare editable drafts. The doctor must read, correct and approve every draft. The technology does not decide a diagnosis, medicine or dose.

POPIA and your health information

Your symptoms, history, identity, clinical notes and issued documents are special personal information. hiDoc and the treating practitioner process them to provide care, administer the practice, protect patient safety and meet legal and professional duties. Authorised service providers may process encrypted information outside South Africa under contractual safeguards. You may request access or correction and may contact hiDoc’s Information Officer or the Information Regulator about a privacy concern.

Privacy, interruptions and fees

Consult from a private place and disclose anyone else present. Video providers process connection data needed for the call. Health information is handled as described in the privacy notice. If a call drops, the doctor may use your verified phone or WhatsApp details to re-establish contact. If safe completion is impossible, the doctor may arrange another time or refer you to in-person care.

Prices are shown before booking. You remain responsible for the consultation fee after clinically appropriate care even where no document or medicine is issued. If telehealth is unsuitable before substantive care can be provided, the fee may be waived under the refund policy.

At booking you confirm that you are at least 18, are booking for yourself, understand the limits and emergency exclusions, will provide truthful information, accept the privacy notice. We record the exact policy version, policy hash, acceptance time and supporting audit information. These terms are not a waiver of statutory rights, negligence, or the clinician’s professional duties. You may stop and seek in-person care at any time.