Ethical Norms for XpressCure Teleconsultations

1. Patient welfare and professional independence

A registered medical practitioner must place patient welfare above convenience, speed, targets or financial incentive. Clinical decisions remain the doctor's independent professional responsibility. XpressCure staff and health workers must not pressure a doctor to diagnose, prescribe or complete an unsafe consultation.

Users must be treated respectfully and without unlawful discrimination. Communication should be understandable, culturally considerate and appropriate to the patient's circumstances.

2. Identity, consent and participation

• The doctor, patient and any facilitating health worker should identify themselves as required.
• Patient consent must be obtained or recorded in the manner required for the consultation. The patient may ask questions or stop a non-emergency consultation.
• An OTP may verify identity or a stated consent step. It is not blanket permission to record a call or process information for unrelated purposes.
• If a caregiver participates, the doctor should establish the caregiver's role and the patient's consent or another lawful basis.

3. Meaningful consultation standard

The timer excludes ringing, waiting, silence, blank or muted connection time and time after disconnection. Ninety seconds is an operational minimum—not a clinical target or guarantee. The doctor must take as long as reasonably required or move the patient to in-person or emergency care.

Documented exceptions may include an immediate emergency referral, patient refusal or disconnection, a narrow follow-up, technical failure followed by an adequate permitted continuation, or another justified clinical circumstance. A 31–89 second consultation may be reviewed where its evidence does not support the advice given.

4. Doctor responsibilities

• Maintain valid registration, practise within competence and follow applicable telemedicine and professional rules.
• Take a proportionate history, assess the limitations of remote care and check for warning signs.
• Explain advice, medicine use, important risks, follow-up and when urgent or in-person care is needed.
• Prescribe only after an adequate assessment and within telemedicine prescribing restrictions.
• Keep accurate, timely records and do not fabricate, copy forward or manipulate consultation evidence.
• Protect confidentiality and avoid unauthorised off-platform contact or financial solicitation.

5. Health worker responsibilities

• Confirm the correct patient and provide a private setting as far as reasonably possible.
• Support communication without coaching symptoms, concealing information or replacing the patient's voice.
• Use only authorised equipment, accounts and certificates; never share an OTP or impersonate a patient or doctor.
• Follow the doctor's lawful instructions for measurements, documents, referrals and emergencies.
• Do not promise a diagnosis, prescription, refund or consultation outcome.

6. Patient and caregiver responsibilities

• Provide accurate information about identity, symptoms, medicines, allergies and relevant history.
• Use a safe, private setting and tell the doctor who else can see or hear the consultation.
• Do not record, publish or misuse a consultation without appropriate notice, consent and lawful authority.
• Seek emergency or in-person care when advised; teleconsultation must not delay urgent treatment.
• Treat doctors, health workers and support personnel respectfully.

7. Records, prescriptions and technical failure

Clinical records should reflect the actual interaction, relevant findings, advice, limitations, referral and follow-up. Where a prescription is appropriate, it should ordinarily be uploaded promptly and identify the doctor as required. A delayed prescription may prompt review, but delay alone does not establish misconduct or automatically cancel payment.

If technology fails, users should document what occurred and arrange a safe permitted continuation or repeat consultation. A connection attempt must not be described as a completed consultation when no adequate clinical interaction occurred.

8. Privacy and respectful data use

Access only the information required for the user's role. Do not discuss patient information where unauthorised people can hear it, download records to personal devices without authority, or submit excessive medical information as review evidence.

Call metadata and authorised clinical records may be used for service delivery, safety, billing, dispute handling and quality review. Audio, video and screenshots must not be recorded without appropriate notice and required consent or another lawful basis.

9. Fair consultation quality review

1. Automated rules, complaints and unusual evidence may open a review case.
2. The doctor should see the reason and relevant evidence and receive a reasonable opportunity to explain or add supporting evidence.
3. The authorised reviewer must select a structured reason and outcome: Cleared, Explained, Confirmed Violation, Insufficient Evidence or Escalated.
4. Reviews and later actions must be auditable. A doctor may request reconsideration within the period stated in the decision notice.

A short-call flag is not proof of poor care. Review status is separate from credit, wallet and withdrawal status. No raw machine flag or pending case automatically holds or reverses payment. Only a confirmed breach may support a distinct, recorded settlement action under the applicable terms and law.

10. Accountability and proportionate action

Confirmed fabrication, credential misuse, unsafe prescribing, confidentiality breach, exploitation or deliberate evidence manipulation may result in proportionate restrictions, escalation to an appropriate authority, or other lawful action. Except where urgent temporary action is necessary for safety, evidence preservation or fraud prevention, the affected person should receive notice and an opportunity to respond.

Quality and trust metrics may use reviewed outcomes, response quality, documentation and sustained safe practice. Raw flags must not by themselves create a negative trust consequence.

11. Speak up, appeal and seek help

Patient-safety concerns, unethical conduct, review appeals and privacy concerns may be sent to the Grievance Officer, XpressCure at info.xpresscure@gmail.com, by phone at +91 83035 19448, or through our contact page. Include the consultation or case ID and avoid sending unnecessary health information over unsecured channels.

These norms supplement the XpressCure Terms & Conditions and the Telemedicine Practice Guidelines.