This page explains what telehealth is, how care works when you use Ellia, its benefits, risks and limits, and your rights. Please read it before you request care. When you create your account in the Ellia patient portal, you will be asked to confirm that you have read and agree to this consent, together with our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices. The clinician who treats you may ask you to agree to additional consent specific to their practice.
1. What telehealth is
Telehealth means receiving healthcare remotely, using technology instead of an in-person visit. Through Ellia, this can include online health questionnaires reviewed by a clinician at a later time, secure messages in the patient portal, and, when required, a phone or video visit.
2. How care works with Ellia
- Ellia is a technology platform that connects patients with independent licensed medical providers. Ellia does not practice medicine.
- A clinician licensed in the state where you are located reviews your health history and decides whether a treatment is appropriate for you. Depending on your history and your state’s rules, the clinician may require a short video consultation.
- Prescriptions are issued only at the clinician’s sole discretion, after their own medical evaluation. Requesting a treatment does not guarantee you will receive it.
- Approved prescriptions are filled by state-licensed pharmacies and shipped to you.
3. Compounded medications
Some treatments available through Ellia are compounded medications, prepared by licensed pharmacies for individual patients. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved finished products: the FDA does not review them for safety, effectiveness or quality before they are dispensed. Your clinician will prescribe a compounded medication only if they determine it is appropriate for you, and can explain how it differs from a brand-name product.
4. Lab testing
Some treatments require lab work before you start and at intervals afterwards. Labs are processed at CLIA-certified reference laboratories, such as Quest, Labcorp or Bioreference, and results are provided as raw laboratory reports. Lab panels ordered for wellness monitoring are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
5. Potential benefits
- Access to care from home, without travel or waiting rooms
- Faster review and follow-up through the patient portal
- Ongoing access to your care team throughout treatment
6. Potential risks and limits
- A clinician cannot perform a physical exam remotely. Decisions rely on the information you provide, so incomplete or inaccurate information may lead to an inappropriate decision.
- Technology problems, such as a poor connection or a system outage, can cause delays.
- Despite reasonable safeguards, no electronic system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
- Your clinician may decide telehealth is not right for your situation and recommend in-person care.
- Every medication can cause side effects. Your clinician and pharmacy will provide information about the risks of anything prescribed to you.
7. Your responsibilities
- You must be 18 or older.
- Provide complete and accurate information about your health, medications and allergies, and update it if anything changes.
- Be physically located, at the time of your evaluation, in the state you list in your account.
- Read the information provided with your medication, follow your clinician’s instructions, and report side effects or concerns through the patient portal.
- Keep your account login private. You are responsible for activity on your account.
8. Not for emergencies
Telehealth through Ellia is not for emergencies. If you think you may be having a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
9. Privacy and your records
Your health information is protected under HIPAA and applicable state law, as described in our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices and Privacy Policy. Your treating clinician and their medical group keep your medical record. You may request a copy of your records through the patient portal or by contacting us.
10. Communications
Your care team will communicate with you through secure messages in the patient portal, and may also contact you by email, phone or text message about your account, orders and care. Text messages are sent only if you agree to receive them, and you can opt out at any time. Message and data rates may apply.
11. Your rights
- You may ask questions about telehealth, your clinician, or your treatment at any time.
- You may refuse or withdraw your consent to telehealth at any time, by contacting us or your care team. Withdrawing does not affect care you have already received, and you may seek in-person care instead.
- You may stop a treatment at any time. Please tell your clinician first, since some medications should not be stopped abruptly.
12. Fees
The price of each treatment or lab panel, and how and when you are billed, are shown before you check out and in our Terms of Service.
13. Contact
Your consentBy requesting care through Ellia, you confirm that you have read this consent, have had the chance to ask questions, understand the benefits, risks and limits of telehealth, and agree to receive care through telehealth.