Terms of Use & Informed Consent for Telehealth

1. Nature of this website

This website provides general information about Functional Medicine and Physiotherapy services offered virtually by Akasha, and allows you to request an appointment. Nothing on this website constitutes a diagnosis, treatment, or guarantee of any outcome. Use of this website does not, by itself, create a provider-patient relationship — that relationship begins only once a consultation is scheduled and conducted, or, for the Akasha Virtual Rehab app, once your physiotherapist has reviewed your questionnaire and confirmed that virtual care is suitable for you.

2. Service eligibility by location

• Functional & Integrative Medicine: offered internationally, as an educational and consultative service.
• Physiotherapy: offered exclusively to patients who are physically located in India at the time of consultation and treatment, in accordance with cross-border telehealth licensing regulations. This applies regardless of your nationality or where you hold citizenship or residency.

You are responsible for accurately confirming your physical location at the time of any consultation.

3. What telehealth is and isn't

Telehealth consultations are conducted by live video, by secure messaging and online questionnaires (such as the Akasha Virtual Rehab app), or by equivalent remote means. Telehealth has inherent limitations compared to in-person care — some conditions cannot be fully assessed remotely, and your provider may recommend in-person evaluation, local testing, or referral to another practitioner where appropriate.

Telehealth through this site is not an emergency service. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, contact your local emergency services immediately rather than requesting a virtual appointment.

4. Informed consent to virtual care

By requesting and attending a consultation, you confirm that you understand and agree to the following:

• You are consenting to receive care by video or remote means, understanding its limitations relative to in-person care.
• You are responsible for providing accurate, complete information about your health, symptoms, and history.
• Recommendations, including lab testing, are based on the information you provide and the remote assessment conducted, and may be revised as more information becomes available.
• You may ask questions at any point, and may withdraw consent to continue a consultation at any time.
• You are responsible for having a private, secure environment and stable connection for your appointment.

5. Akasha Virtual Rehab — consent to telerehabilitation

The Akasha Virtual Rehab app (rehab.akashaintegrativehealth.com) lets you complete a guided health questionnaire and receive physiotherapy assessment, advice and exercise-based treatment remotely. Before using it, please understand the following. You will be asked to confirm your consent inside the app.

Who it is for

• Adults aged 18 or over who are physically located in India at the time of care.
• It is currently available for neck pain. Other conditions may be added over time.

How your care is decided

• Every questionnaire is reviewed personally by a licensed physiotherapist. Your physiotherapist decides whether virtual care is suitable, and may instead recommend a video assessment, an in-person assessment, or that you see a doctor first.
• The app runs an automatic safety check on your answers. If your answers suggest you may need urgent medical care, it will tell you straight away. This is a precaution, not a diagnosis.
• No treatment decision is made by a computer alone. If AI tools are used in future to help prepare a summary for your physiotherapist, your physiotherapist will still review and decide everything (see our Privacy Policy).
• Submitting a questionnaire does not mean you have been accepted for treatment. Your physiotherapist aims to review it within one working day.

Limits of virtual physiotherapy

• Your physiotherapist cannot examine you by touch, and some conditions cannot be fully assessed remotely. Hands-on treatment such as manual therapy is not part of virtual care.
• The quality of your care depends on the accuracy and completeness of the information you provide. Please tell us about all symptoms, medical conditions, medicines and changes in your health.

Doing exercises safely at home

• Exercise in a clear, safe space, with a stable chair or support nearby if advised.
• Follow the dose your physiotherapist gives you. Mild, short-lived discomfort can be normal; sharp or steadily increasing pain is not.
• Stop and contact your physiotherapist if your symptoms get significantly worse, or you develop new pins and needles, numbness or weakness.
• Stop and seek urgent medical care (call 112) if you develop chest pain, breathlessness, a sudden severe headache, dizziness or fainting, double vision, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, weakness on one side, problems with walking or balance, or new problems controlling your bladder or bowels.
• If camera-based exercise guidance is added in future, it will help count repetitions and measure movement, but it does not replace your own judgement or your physiotherapist's advice. We will ask for your permission before any camera feature is used.

Communication and response times

• Messages in the app are not monitored around the clock and are not for emergencies.
• Sign-in is by a one-time code sent to your email address. Keep access to your email account secure, and sign out on shared devices.

Your choices

• Taking part in virtual rehab is voluntary. You may stop at any time and ask for in-person or video care instead.
• You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting virtualcare@akashaintegrativehealth.com. Records already created will be kept as required by professional record-keeping rules, as explained in our Privacy Policy.

6. Confidentiality

We take reasonable steps to keep your information confidential, as described in our Privacy Policy, which includes a dedicated section on the Virtual Rehab app. You are also responsible for choosing a private setting for your own appointment to protect your own confidentiality.

7. No guarantee of outcome

Functional Medicine and Physiotherapy recommendations are provided based on clinical judgment and available information. No specific result or outcome is guaranteed. Individual results vary based on many factors outside our control.

8. Your responsibilities

• Providing accurate health information, including current medications, allergies, and relevant history.
• Following up as recommended, including completing suggested lab testing where relevant.
• Seeking emergency or in-person care when advised to do so, or when your symptoms warrant it.
• For virtual rehab, following your exercise plan as prescribed, exercising in a safe environment, and reporting any worsening or new symptoms promptly.

9. Limitation of liability

To the extent permitted by applicable law, Akasha is not liable for outcomes arising from incomplete or inaccurate information provided by the patient, from technology failures outside our control, or from a patient's decision not to follow recommended care, including recommended in-person or emergency evaluation.

10. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. Continued use of this website or our services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

11. Contact

Questions about these terms can be sent to the email address listed on our Contact page.