Telehealth informed consent

Before MetaOrtho can deliver care to you, we’re required to make sure you understand what telehealth is, how it works, and your rights as a patient. Please read the following carefully. You will be asked to acknowledge this consent before your first visit.

What telehealth is

Telehealth (also called telemedicine) is the delivery of healthcare services using interactive audio, video, or other electronic communications technology by a clinician at a different location than you. At MetaOrtho, your visit takes place over a secure video connection from a location of your choosing. Your clinician completes the visit, documents it in your medical record, and orders any labs, imaging, or prescriptions that are clinically appropriate.

What care MetaOrtho provides

MetaOrtho is a physician-led telemedicine practice focused on musculoskeletal care for adults on GLP-1 weight-loss medications. We may:

• Conduct comprehensive musculoskeletal risk assessments
• Order labs and DEXA scans through accredited laboratories you select
• Build personalized monitoring and protection protocols
• Prescribe FDA-approved branded GLP-1 medications and other medications when clinically appropriate, transmitted to the licensed U.S. pharmacy you choose — see our pharmacy selection page. We do not prescribe compounded GLP-1 medications or controlled substances.
• Manage gout, fracture risk, and related musculoskeletal conditions associated with rapid weight loss

Risks and limitations of telehealth

Telehealth has real benefits but also real limitations. You should understand the following before consenting:

• Your clinician cannot perform a hands-on physical examination over video. Some conditions cannot be fully evaluated remotely and may require an in-person visit elsewhere.
• Technical problems — internet outages, audio or video failures — can interrupt or end a visit. We will reschedule if a visit is interrupted.
• Although we use industry-standard encryption and HIPAA-compliant infrastructure, no electronic communication can be guaranteed to be 100% secure.
• If your clinical situation requires an evaluation we can’t do safely via telehealth, we will tell you and refer you to an in-person provider.

Benefits of telehealth

• You can see a board-certified specialist without travel.
• Care is more convenient to fit into your schedule.
• Care can be delivered consistently no matter where you are within your licensed state.

Your alternatives

You always have the right to choose in-person care instead of telehealth. If you would prefer to see a clinician in person, we recommend asking your primary care physician or seeing an in-person orthopedic specialist. You can decline telehealth care from MetaOrtho at any time without penalty.

Your rights

• You have the right to withdraw your consent for telehealth at any time, and to switch to in-person care without affecting your right to future treatment.
• You have the right to a copy of your medical records on request.
• You have the right to ask questions about your care, including what telehealth involves and how your information is protected.
• You have the right to be told if your visit is being recorded. MetaOrtho does not record video visits except in extraordinary circumstances and only with your specific written consent.

Privacy and security

MetaOrtho follows HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. See our Notice of Privacy Practices for details. We use a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform and store medical records in a HIPAA-compliant electronic system.

Emergency limitation

Telehealth is not for medical emergencies. If you are experiencing a medical emergency — including chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe abdominal pain, signs of stroke, suicidal thoughts, or any other condition you consider an emergency — call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. Do not use the MetaOrtho portal or wait for a telehealth visit.

State-specific notices

California residents

Your MetaOrtho clinician will obtain your verbal or written consent for telehealth before your first telehealth visit, in addition to this acknowledgment. You have the right to in-person care if you choose, including assistance identifying nearby in-person providers.

Texas residents

Texas requires written consent for telemedicine services. By acknowledging this consent electronically, you provide written consent under Texas law. You have the right to decline telemedicine in favor of in-person care without penalty.

New York residents

New York requires that consent for telehealth be documented before each telehealth encounter. MetaOrtho will confirm your consent at the start of every telehealth visit.

Acknowledgment

By proceeding with intake or scheduling a visit with MetaOrtho, you acknowledge that you have read this consent, that you understand it, and that you agree to receive telehealth care from MetaOrtho on the terms described.

Updated 2026-04-29. If we make material changes to this consent, we will ask you to acknowledge the new version before your next visit.