Telemedicine Platform Policy

1. Platform Role and Scope

MyHealthBuddy.AI operates as a technology intermediary platform that facilitates telemedicine consultations between patients and independent, licensed Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) in accordance with the Telemedicine Practice Guidelines, 2020 issued jointly by the Medical Council of India (now National Medical Commission) and NITI Aayog.

Our platform:

• Provides the technical infrastructure for video, voice, and text consultations.
• Shares pre-consultation health data (vitals, symptoms, history) with the consulting doctor — only with your consent.
• Does not employ or direct the medical decisions of any doctor on the platform.
• Does not itself provide medical advice, diagnosis, or prescriptions. All clinical decisions are made solely by the independent RMP.

All telemedicine services on MyHealthBuddy.AI are available only within India and to Indian residents, unless separately specified.

2. Doctor Eligibility and Verification

The Telemedicine Practice Guidelines permit only Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) to provide telemedicine services. We enforce this through a mandatory onboarding verification process.

Verification Requirements

Every doctor must provide and pass verification of:

• NMC / State Medical Council registration number — verified against the NMC's National Medical Register (NMR) or the relevant State Medical Council registry.
• Medical degree certificate (MBBS, MD, MS, BDS, or equivalent recognised by NMC).
• Government-issued photo ID (Aadhaar, PAN, or Passport).
• Active practice declaration — confirmation that the registration is current and not suspended or cancelled.

Ongoing Compliance

• Doctor registrations are re-verified annually.
• Any suspension or cancellation of NMC/State Council registration results in immediate platform suspension.
• Doctors must disclose any disciplinary proceedings against them during onboarding and update us immediately if proceedings are initiated thereafter.

3. Patient Identification

The Guidelines require that the patient's identity be established before a telemedicine consultation. MyHealthBuddy.AI satisfies this through:

• Registered account: Patients must register with a verified mobile number (OTP-confirmed) and name.
• Aadhaar-linked ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account): Patients are encouraged to link their ABHA number for stronger identity verification. This also enables continuity of health records across providers.
• Self-declaration for minors: For patients below 18 years, the parent or legal guardian registers on their behalf and must be present during the consultation.

The consulting RMP is responsible for being satisfied with the patient's identity before providing clinical advice or issuing a prescription.

4. Consultation Standards

All telemedicine consultations on MyHealthBuddy.AI must conform to the following standards derived from the Guidelines:

First-Time vs. Follow-Up Consultations

• First consultation (new patient-doctor relationship): The doctor must obtain sufficient information to establish a clinical assessment. Prescribing is limited to a defined list of medicines (see Section 5). The doctor should refer the patient for an in-person examination if clinically warranted.
• Follow-up consultation (established patient-doctor relationship): Greater clinical latitude is permitted, including broader prescribing rights, as the doctor already has a clinical history for the patient.

AI-Assisted Pre-Consultation Summary

MyHealthBuddy.AI provides the consulting RMP with an AI-generated pre-consultation summary containing the patient's recent vitals, reported symptoms, and relevant health history. This summary is:

• Presented as informational context only — not a clinical diagnosis.
• Clearly labelled as AI-generated so the doctor can independently assess its relevance.
• Shared only with the patient's explicit consent, granted at booking.

Communication Modes

• Video consultation: Preferred mode; enables visual assessment.
• Voice call: Permitted; may limit the doctor's ability to visually assess the patient.
• Text/chat: Permitted for follow-ups and non-urgent queries; not appropriate as the sole mode for new acute presentations.

5. Prescription Rules

The Telemedicine Practice Guidelines divide medications into lists governing what may be prescribed via telemedicine. MyHealthBuddy.AI's platform enforces these restrictions through doctor-side guidance and, where applicable, system-level controls.

Digital Prescription Standards

Any prescription issued through our platform must comply with the following, as required by the Guidelines:

• Issued on the RMP's letterhead or equivalent digital format.
• Includes: patient name and address, date, diagnosis (where possible), drug name, dosage, frequency, duration, and doctor's NMC/State Council registration number.
• Signed digitally using the doctor's verified credentials on our platform.
• Clearly marked "Telemedicine Prescription" per guideline requirements.
• Saved to the patient's health record on the platform for future reference.

6. What Cannot Be Done via Telemedicine

Certain clinical activities cannot be substituted by telemedicine. Our platform actively discourages and, where possible, prevents the following:

• First-time prescriptions of Schedule X drugs (habit-forming / narcotic / psychotropic substances).
• Emergency diagnosis and treatment — patients in emergency situations are directed to call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department.
• Procedures requiring physical examination — surgical assessment, invasive investigations, physical therapy evaluation.
• Certification of fitness, disability, or death — these require in-person clinical assessment.
• Prescribing for addiction or substance dependence without prior in-person evaluation and compliance with applicable regulations.

7. Record-Keeping Obligations

The Telemedicine Practice Guidelines impose record-keeping obligations on RMPs, and our platform fulfils these on their behalf:

• Consultation records: All text exchanges and metadata are stored for a minimum of 3 years from the date of consultation.
• Video recordings: Not recorded by default. If a doctor or patient opts to record a session, they must obtain explicit consent from the other party. Recordings are stored encrypted for 3 years if made.
• Prescriptions: Digital prescriptions are stored in the patient's health record for a minimum of 7 years.
• FHIR Audit Logs: Every clinical interaction is logged as a FHIR R4 AuditEvent, providing a tamper-evident audit trail.

Patients can access all their consultation records and prescriptions at any time via App → Health Records → Consultations.

8. Emergency Protocols

MyHealthBuddy.AI is not an emergency medical service. Our platform has the following emergency safeguards:

• Vitals alert system: When the rPPG scan detects critically abnormal readings (SpO₂ below 90%, heart rate above 150 or below 40 bpm, temperature above 40°C), the app displays an emergency alert directing the user to call 112 immediately.
• In-consultation emergency protocol: If a doctor determines that a patient requires emergency care during a telemedicine session, the platform enables the doctor to send a geo-located emergency alert to the patient's registered emergency contact and provides the nearest emergency department details.
• AI disclaimer: All AI-generated symptom analyses that indicate a potentially serious condition include a prominent instruction to seek in-person care immediately.

9. Platform Liability and Doctor Independence

MyHealthBuddy.AI acts as a technology intermediary. Doctors practicing on our platform are independent licensed professionals, not employees or agents of MyHealthBuddy Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

• Clinical decisions, diagnoses, and prescriptions are the sole professional and legal responsibility of the treating RMP.
• MyHealthBuddy.AI is not liable for errors, omissions, or adverse outcomes resulting from a doctor's clinical decisions, provided we have fulfilled our platform obligations (verification, record-keeping, guideline compliance tools).
• In the event of a patient complaint about clinical care, we will facilitate communication between the patient and the doctor and, if unresolved, facilitate escalation to the relevant State Medical Council.
• Complaints about platform conduct (technical failures, incorrect billing, data breaches) are handled directly by us — see Section 10.

10. Grievance Redressal

Patient Complaints

Patients with complaints about a consultation, a prescription, or a doctor's conduct on the platform may:

• Submit a grievance via App → Help → File a Complaint — we acknowledge within 24 hours and resolve within 14 days.
• Email grievance@myhealthbuddy.ai with consultation details.
• Lodge a complaint directly with the relevant State Medical Council or the NMC for issues of medical negligence or professional misconduct by the doctor.

Doctor Complaints Against Patients

Doctors may report abusive, threatening, or fraudulent patient behaviour to doctors@myhealthbuddy.ai. We investigate all reports and may suspend patient accounts pending review.

Grievance Officer

As required by the IT Act 2000, our designated Grievance Officer for telemedicine-related complaints is reachable at: