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Telemedicine consent

Last updated: 26 May 2026

This document describes the consent you give for receiving medical care through ZIVOLABS via telemedicine. It is governed by the Telemedicine Practice Guidelines, 2020 issued under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 (read with the National Medical Commission Act, 2019) and the Indian Medical Council (Professional conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002 as amended.

1. What telemedicine means

Telemedicine is the delivery of healthcare by a registered medical practitioner (“RMP” / your “doctor”) using electronic communication, including video calls, audio calls, and secure text. Through ZIVOLABS, your consultations happen over an encrypted, peer-to-peer video connection.

2. Who your doctor is

  • Every doctor on ZIVOLABS is registered with a State Medical Council or the National Medical Commission.
  • Their full name and registration (NMC) number is displayed on your prescription and visible on their profile.
  • They have undergone a one-time orientation in telemedicine practice as required by the 2020 Guidelines (Section 1.4.1).

3. Identification & verification

  • The doctor will verify your identity at the start of your first consultation. You may be asked to confirm your full name, date of birth, and address.
  • Likewise, the doctor will identify themselves — full name, qualification, and registration number — at the start of the consultation.
  • If at any point during a consultation the identity of either side is in reasonable doubt, the consultation will be terminated.

4. Your consent — what you are agreeing to

By proceeding with a telemedicine consultation on ZIVOLABS, you confirm that you:

  • Understand that you are receiving care remotely, not in person, and that a physical examination is not possible during the consultation;
  • Will provide truthful, complete, and current information about your medical history, current medications, allergies, lifestyle, and symptoms;
  • Understand the doctor may, on clinical judgment, decide not to prescribe medication and may instead refer you for an in-person consultation or further tests;
  • Authorise the doctor to access the personal and health information you have provided to ZIVOLABS for the purpose of your care;
  • Understand that prescriptions issued via telemedicine carry the same authority and the same restrictions as a written prescription, including for refills.

You may withdraw consent at any time. Withdrawing consent means your current consultation ends; data already collected is retained per the Privacy Policy retention period.

5. Limits of telemedicine

The 2020 Guidelines and good clinical practice place limits on what can safely be done over telemedicine. In particular:

  • The doctor will not prescribe any medication classified under Schedule X of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, nor any drug listed in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.
  • The doctor will only prescribe medications from List O (over-the-counter) in a first consultation, unless they have access to your prior medical records justifying further prescription as permitted under the Guidelines.
  • Emergency conditions — chest pain, severe breathlessness, signs of stroke, suspected anaphylaxis, suicidal thoughts, severe injuries — are not appropriate for telemedicine. Call an ambulance (112) or go to the nearest emergency room.
  • If at any point the doctor judges that your condition requires hands-on assessment, they will end the telemedicine consult and refer you to in-person care. The consult fee remains payable for the time spent.

6. GLP-1 therapy specific points

  • GLP-1 receptor agonists (semaglutide, tirzepatide, liraglutide and similar) are prescription drugs. They are not approved for cosmetic weight loss; they are approved for the management of type 2 diabetes and, in some cases, for chronic weight management in people with obesity or with overweight and at least one weight-related comorbidity.
  • You will be screened for contraindications including personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, severe gastrointestinal disease, current pregnancy or planned pregnancy.
  • You acknowledge the known potential side-effects including nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhoea, injection-site reactions, gallbladder disease, pancreatitis, and rarely more serious adverse events.
  • You will be required to log a weekly check-in. If you stop responding or skip multiple check-ins, your subscription may be paused for safety.
  • Stop the medication and contact us immediately if you experience severe abdominal pain, signs of an allergic reaction, vision changes, or symptoms of pancreatitis.

7. Recording & documentation

  • The doctor will maintain a contemporaneous record of every consultation as required by Clause 3.7 of the 2020 Guidelines, including patient history, examination findings, and clinical reasoning.
  • We do not audio- or video-record the consultation by default. If recording is ever introduced as a feature, it will be only with your separate, explicit consent and you may decline.
  • Your prescription, clinical notes, and lab results are accessible to you under your patient app.

8. Fees

  • The fee for each consultation is shown to you before booking.
  • If the doctor declines to prescribe on clinical grounds, or recommends an in-person visit, the consult fee is non-refundable because the doctor's time was still spent reviewing your case.
  • If a technical failure on our side prevents the consultation from happening, you will be offered a rebooking at no cost or a full refund.
  • Refund details are in the Refund & Returns Policy.

9. Misconduct & grievances

If you believe a doctor on ZIVOLABS has acted unprofessionally or unsafely, you may raise this with:

  • The ZIVOLABS Grievance Officer at grievance@zivolabs.org — we acknowledge within 48 hours and resolve within 30 days;
  • The State Medical Council where the doctor is registered (the registration number is on your prescription); or
  • The National Medical Commission directly.

Your right to approach a regulator is independent of our internal process and is not affected by it.

10. Acknowledgment

By booking a consultation on ZIVOLABS you confirm that you have read this Telemedicine Consent, understood it, and accept it. A timestamped record of your acceptance is kept with your account.