Terms & Conditions

Use of this Website and the SnapMED Platform

By using this website and by registering an account with SnapMED Inc. (“SnapMED”), you agree to these Terms of Use. These Terms of Use are an Ontario contract. If you do not agree with the Terms of Use, do not use this website or the SnapMED platform. SnapMED may change or modify the website, the SnapMED platform or these Terms of Use at any time without notice or liability. You may not change or modify this contract in any way. You are responsible to review these Terms of Use on a frequent basis to make yourself aware of its content. When you sign into your user account, you are agreeing to the most current Terms of Use posted on this website.

Because of the nature of the services provided on SnapMED, you must only request services and provide information for (a) yourself or, (b) if you are an authorized representative (e.g., a substitute decision maker or legal guardian), for the person whom you represent.

Please see the age requirements below.

Description of the Services

SnapMED’s business is to provide a medical platform that allows members of the public to safely and securely connect to physicians or other health practitioners for medical or health related consultations. In Canada, this form of consultation is called Telehealth. It includes using secure technology to allow communication between patients and providers without them being present in the same location. There are two types of providers on SnapMED's platform: physicians and other health providers. Both types of providers will provide their own services through the SnapMED platform. SnapMED is not a health care provider. SnapMED is not responsible for any of its providers' services.

Canadian Certified Physicians

Physicians providing services on SnapMED's platform are all licensed as physicians in their respective provinces in Canada. The physicians operate as individual practitioners and they are governed by the rules and regulations, codes of conduct, and professional duties established by their respective professional body in their province. Patients have access to their physicians' information by reviewing the profile of the physicians listed on the “College of Physicians and Surgeons” of the province. Complaints about physicians can be made to the physician's governing body. Any services or consultations are between the physician and patient and therefore the rules surrounding the physician-patient relationship apply. However, this relationship does not extend to SnapMED as it is not part of that relationship.

Other Health Practitioners - Other health care practitioners permitted by SnapMED may also provide services through the SnapMED platform. These practitioners are independent and are regulated health care professionals. They may include pharmacists, nurse practitioners, psychologists or dietitians. These practitioners are all licensed as regulated health professionals within their respective provinces in Canada. Health practitioners operate as individual practitioners and they are governed by the rules and regulations, codes of conduct, and professional duties established by their respective professional bodies in their province. Patients have access to their health practitioner's information by reviewing the profile of the practitioner listed on that profession's College in the applicable province. Complaints about health professionals can be made to the practitioner's governing body.

Any services or consultations are between the health care practitioner and patient/client and therefore the rules surrounding the health care practitioner-client relationship apply. However, this relationship does not extend to SnapMED as it is not part of that relationship.

Due to the way that telemedicine and health care are regulated by provinces and territories in Canada, the location of your residence and the timing of your service request will be the determining factor in the type of service that you receive. For example, Canadian residents traveling abroad may use SnapMED subject to payment of the applicable fees not covered by provincial health insurance, and non-residents of Canada may be denied certain services, such as prescriptions, due to health and telemedicine regulations. For pharmacy services, your location will be used to generate a list of the nearest locations of pharmacies that, through a separate agreement with SnapMED, have chosen to be added to the list of pharmacies. If, under the provincial and territorial regulations, SnapMED is not authorized to provide you with the service you have requested, we will endeavour to notify you prior to accepting any calls or payment provided that you have given us the relevant information to make that determination, however, SnapMED and the health care practitioner have no liability to you for providing requested services outside of the health care practitioner's licensed jurisdiction.

Changes will be made to SnapMED's platform and these Terms of Use from time to time to remain consistent with changes to rules and regulations in the provinces and territories. SnapMED will not provide you with any notice when these Terms of Use change. Any content, material or information that is available on the SnapMED platform or website, other than any services provided by a health care practitioner, are for informational purposes only. To reduce health care risk to you, you are advised to discuss with your family physician the appropriateness of relying on the information for your particular

How Does it Work?

Physicians and other regulated health professionals are permitted to use the SnapMED platform to provide health care services by registering with SnapMED through its health care professional's registration process.

Health care services include:

It is important to remember that the health care practitioner is responsible to provide information and services in compliance with their scope of practice as regulated health professionals. In no event will SnapMED accept any responsibility or liability for any services, information, advice or diagnosis provided by any of the practitioners using the SnapMED platform.

All health care practitioners using the SnapMED platform are required to follow the SnapMED Privacy Policy in addition to any other privacy laws or policies that apply to each practitioner. Please see the SnapMED Privacy Policy for further details.

SnapMED requests that you consider only sharing your personal health information as needed to complete the health care consultation. Please refrain from providing unnecessary information that is not considered relevant to the health care practitioner providing the consultation. Physicians and other health care professionals face restrictions regarding which province they are authorized to practice in, therefore it is absolutely critical that you meet the residency criteria and that you are truthful about your province of residence. You agree that SnapMED is to be used for the patient's personal purposes and not for any commercial activity.

The SnapMED platform has the capabilities to store the patient's personal information as provided by the patient on the platform or shared through the virtual consult with physicians or other medical professionals. When you sign up, you are agreeing that we will be saving this information under your user ID including items received from the physicians or other medical practitioners such as prescriptions, medical notes, images, etc. At your request, SnapMED can relay information for medical reasons such as sending a prescription on behalf of the patient to the chosen pharmacy or informing the patient that a prescription is ready. It is important to remember that you may be denied access to or use of the services if you are unable to present your government issued health card at the point of registration, log in, or during an appointment.

Non-urgent Needs Only

The SnapMED platform is provided for non-urgent health care needs only. Examples of the types of health needs supported through SnapMED are listed on the platform.

SERIOUS MEDICAL EMERGENCIES CANNOT BE TREATED THROUGH THE SNAPMED PLATFORM. IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL 911 OR THE AREA'S EMERGENCY NUMBER AND IMMEDIATELY ATTEND THE NEAREST HOSPITAL FOR HELP.

SNAPMED IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR PRIMARY CARE. The virtual visits on the SnapMED platform are for non-urgent needs only. You are advised to attend your family physician for routine care. Furthermore, it is in your best interest to develop a relationship with a family physician if you do not have one. Although SnapMED does not transmit any medical report to your family physician regarding the virtual visit, we highly recommend that you advise your family physician regarding the reason and outcome of the virtual consultation. The consultation notes are on the patient's dashboard; feel free to print and submit consultation notes to your family physician.

When choosing to use SnapMED for your medical consultations, you must note that there are certain symptoms that will not be treated through the platform.

Symptoms that are not treated include:

Practitioners are restricted in prescribing certain medications that are considered controlled substances, including but not limited to: narcotics, non-therapeutic drugs, and those substances that can be harmful to the patient or have been known to be abused. Note that practitioners have the right to deny you any prescription through SnapMED, as no preceding relationship exists. If you do receive a prescription, prescriptions may only be used by the person named on the prescription and cannot be transferred to any other person under any circumstances. You acknowledge that the medication prescribed will be taken based on the instructions provided on the label and based on your consultation with the pharmacist.

If there are any complications, or adverse reactions as a result of any medications, you should immediately report it to your family physician, or if you do not have one, then go to the nearest walk in clinic. If the reaction appears to be severe, you are advised to go to the emergency room. Do not call SnapMED for follow up of drug reactions, as physical examination may be required.

Physicians and other health care practitioners who are using the SnapMED platform have the right at their own discretion to refuse to provide or terminate the health services for any user at any time. The potential issues for cause of termination of service can range from violation of these Terms of Use to any issues identified in the health care practitioner's professional guidelines as a cause for terminating a physician-patient or practitioner-client relationship. In some instances, the SnapMED platform will not be able to transmit information (e.g, if there is poor resolution in an image). In such circumstances, other means may be available (such as texting) but if the health care practitioner deems that the mode of communication does not lend itself well to the circumstances, then the health care professional has the right to terminate the session.

Permitted Users/Jurisdiction/Age Requirements

If you are in a jurisdiction where the use of this website is illegal or prohibited, do not use the SnapMED platform or this website. SnapMED is not responsible and will not be liable for your use of the SnapMED platform or this website in contravention of any laws. SnapMED is provided for use by persons who are at least 18 or 19 years old, depending on the age of majority in your home province or territory, and who can form legally binding contracts under applicable law. By using this website, you represent that you are at least the age of majority in your home province and have the authority to enter into this contract.

These Terms of Use are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable in Ontario. You attorn to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Ontario. Any claim or dispute that you have arising from the use of SnapMED's platform or any related matters must be commenced in a court of competent jurisdiction in the Province of Ontario within 2 years after the claim or cause of action arises, after which the claim or cause of action is forever barred.

The SnapMED platform can only be used by a person who is registered. The main user has the ability to add additional users to their account as needed; however, an individual medical profile must be created for each user. If a spouse, common-law partner, or any other family member or person chooses to be added under the same user account in order to be part of the same family plan, then they are agreeing that all members who have access to the account can see any medical information as shared through SnapMED. If users/family members do not wish to share their medical information with each other, they must each create their own separate user account and forfeit access to the family plan. Users are solely responsible for the safekeeping of their username and password.

You are responsible to ensure that each consultation is only conducted under the correct patient profile. Misrepresenting the patient or misusing the profile can create risk to yourself and lead to termination of the use of the platform. Users are also responsible for all activity under their account name. It is highly recommended that you exercise safeguards and monitor your account on a routine basis.

Use Restrictions

You are required to conduct yourself appropriately with the health care practitioners at all times. Abusive language and inappropriate conduct while communicating with anyone will not be acceptable and may lead to termination of your account without any refund or liability. Respect and courtesy are requirements for anyone using the platform. The SnapMED platform is to be solely used for health care consultation purposes. The platform should only be used in a manner that laws permit.

No one is permitted to

Fees/ Physician Payment/ Payment Option

Fees are charged to the user for accessing the health care services rendered through the platform. In circumstances where the service is covered by the provincial health plan, then the Basic Plan applies: No fee for the service will be charged to the user, but will be directly billed to the province. Failure to provide provincial health card information as required by the system may result in denial of service. In provinces where virtual health care consultation is not covered, the fee must be paid privately by the users of SnapMED. Please phone 1-833-SNAP-333 (1-833-762-7333) or email contact@snapmed.ca if you have any questions regarding the fees. Fees are as listed on the website and may change from time to time at the discretion of SnapMED. All fees are in Canadian dollars and applicable taxes will be added to the listed fees. Payments are accepted by credit card only. There are currently the following separate types of options to pay for the virtual medical consultation visits. Please note that these are subject to change.

Platform Subscription Fee

To access our technology, you can choose from the following options: 24-hour membership, weekly membership, or annual membership. SnapMED will process the credit card payment through the secure platform. You must submit your credit card information and validate your credit card prior to the start of each consult. If the credit card is declined, you cannot proceed with accessing SnapMED's technology. Once the credit card is validated, then you may proceed to continue with your request for a medical visit. The platform subscription fee does not cover any medical visits or services. All provincial plan covered services are charged directly to the provincial plan. Any additional private services will be billed as described in the other payment options below. There are no limits on the number of times you may access the platform for each membership period. If you choose to terminate your account before the end of your membership period, there are no refunds for unused time. Annual plans are automatically renewed unless you provide SnapMED with one month's notice of termination prior to the renewal. If SnapMED increases the annual fee, SnapMED will provide you with one month's notice by email in advance of the increase. No increase will take effect on an annual plan until the completion of the 12-month period already purchased.

Pay-per-Visit

Where a service is not covered by your provincial health care plan, you can choose to pay for each medical visit separately. SnapMED will process the credit card payment on behalf of the health care professional through the secure platform. You must submit your credit card information and validate your credit card prior to the start of each consult. If the credit card is declined, you cannot proceed with the consult. Once the credit card is validated, then you may proceed to continue with your request for a medical visit. However, if you choose to leave prior to the physician/ health care professional accepting your request for your medical visit, no payment will be charged onto your credit card. However, if a physician has accepted and started a medical consultation, then the visit is deemed activated and a charge will be applied to your credit card. The health care practitioner who takes the consultation is entitled to the service fee and SnapMED will directly arrange for payment. You will receive a copy of the invoice and have access to the amount paid through the payment history available on the user dashboard.

5 visit package

Where a service is not covered by your provincial health care plan, you can choose to purchase a 5 visit package which allows you to see the doctor and apply 1 visit to each medical consultation. The 5 visit package option never expires and can be used to all current family members in the account.

A visit is only deducted after the physician and patient have connected over a video or phone call consultation. However, if the patient leaves the appointment without connecting with a physician, no visit is deducted from the account.

If you choose to terminate your account, any fees for unused visits are not refunded. If SnapMED chooses to terminate your account for any reason, then you will be entitled to a refund prorated to the number of visits remaining less a 25% withholding fee.

Annual Membership

You have the option to purchase a single plan or a family plan for a 12-month period. The payment for the annual membership will be taken prior to the initial consult. When you purchase a single plan, you are only allowed to use the plan for a 1 member of the account. If you purchase a family plan, you can use the visits to members of the same family (2 adults and up to 4 children under the age of 18). Once the plan is purchased, you and the family members are entitled to the allotted visits, however, any services which are not covered by the plan will be billed in addition. The annual plans are non-refundable, even if the account is deactivated by you for any reason. However, if SnapMED chooses to terminate your account, then you will be entitled to a refund prorated to the number of months remaining less a 25% withholding fee.

Annual plans are automatically renewed unless you provide SnapMED with one month's notice of termination prior to the renewal. If SnapMED increases the annual fee, SnapMED will provide you with one month's notice by email in advance of the increase. No increase will take effect on an annual plan until the completion of the 12-month period already purchased. Visits purchased as part of an annual plan will be valid for a period of 12 months, after which point they will expire. Once purchased, visits are non-refundable. One visit is deducted at the end of each consultation. The number of visits remaining in the annual plan will be listed on the dashboard.

Privacy

SnapMED collects, uses and discloses personal information in accordance with the Privacy Policy. By using the SnapMED platform, you agree to the terms of the Privacy Policy.

Trademarks/Copyright/Ownership

SnapMED controls and owns all content on the platform and website and all rights therein except for your personal health information. You do not have the right to reference SnapMED's or its licensors' brand elements, logos, company name, products, services name or trademarks. No one is permitted to copy or otherwise reproduce or distribute any of the SnapMED content. No content can be modified, republished, downloaded, or transmitted except with written permission granted by SnapMED.

Linking to Other Sites

For convenience, this website may include links to other websites. Any websites linked from this website are created by other organizations. Those organizations are responsible for the information contained within their sites. Even when this website refers or links to another website, SnapMED does not endorse the content on any other organization's website. SnapMED does not control and is not responsible for the content of those websites or any advertisements on those websites. Your use of those other websites is at your own risk and subject to the Terms of Use for those sites. SnapMED welcomes links to its website if the following guidelines are observed:

Disclaimers/Limitation of Liability

You acknowledge that there are risks inherent in all health care services, including those provided through the SnapMED platform. Your sole and exclusive remedy against SnapMED for dissatisfaction with the SnapMED platform or this website is to stop using SnapMED. SnapMED is not liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken based on reliance upon the information contained on or provided through the platform or this website.

Any information received through the SnapMED platform is to be used at your sole discretion. SnapMED does not bear any risk associated with the accuracy and associated use of the information, advice, medication or treatment provided. Any issues regarding the services provided by a health care practitioner should be addressed directly with the health care practitioner or the applicable governing body. You hereby relieve SnapMED of any liability with respect to health care services provided by a practitioner through SnapMED's platform. You and any users authorized by you are solely responsible for any errors you make in or your abuse of the administration of medications or medical treatments. You and any users authorized by you are solely responsible for providing the necessary information that is required by the health care practitioner to conduct an appropriate consultation. If you choose to withhold information that may be pertinent to the consultations you access through SnapMED, you do so at your own risk. You acknowledge that you may be at risk if you or your health care provider relies upon inappropriate or inaccurate information. Content and materials appearing on SnapMED's website may include technical, photographic or typographical errors. SnapMED cannot guarantee that the materials provided are accurate. SnapMED makes no representations as to any matter whatsoever, including accuracy, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. Any information provided on this website is provided on an “as is” basis. SnapMED assumes no liability for or relating to the delay, failure, interruption or corruption of any data or other information transmitted in the SnapMED platform. Furthermore, you are solely responsible for any potential data loss or breach due to the use of an inappropriately or inadequately secured device to access and use the SnapMED platform. SnapMED does not represent that files available for downloading will be free from any code that contains contaminating or destructive properties, including infections, viruses, worms or Trojan horses.

General Terms

Our failure to act with respect to a breach of these Terms of Use by you or anyone else does not waive our right to act with respect to subsequent or similar breaches. These Terms of Use set forth the entire understanding and agreement between you and SnapMED with respect to the use of this website. In the event of a conflict between these Terms of Use and any statement or materials on the website, these Terms of Use prevail. SnapMED may assign this contract and may sell the platform at its sole discretion without your consent and without notice or liability. You may not assign this contract or your rights or obligations under this contract. The parties have expressly requested and required that this contract and all other related documents be drawn up in the English language. Les parties conviennent et exigent expressement que ce contrat et tous les documents qui s'y rapportent soient rediges en anglais. If you have any questions about these Terms of Use or the website in general, please contact us via e-mail at contact@snapmed.ca.

Termination/Survival

At any time and for any reason, SnapMED has the right to terminate any user access or deny access to their SnapMED platform account. If you breached these Terms of Use, in addition to any other remedies it may have, SnapMED has the right to terminate or suspend your use of the SnapMED platform. SnapMED will not be liable to you or anyone else for termination regardless of the reason for termination. You have full discretion to deactivate your account at any time. Upon termination of a user account, SnapMED is no longer required to provide you access to the information stored under your profile. To find out more details about the management of your personal data after deactivation, please refer to the Privacy Policy.

You may request access to your health care information from the applicable health care practitioner you consulted in SnapMED. The health care practitioner will be subject to access requirements under the rules of their professional college and the access to information legislation applicable to their services. The Disclaimers/Limitation of Liability provision survives any termination of this contract. If any term, provision, covenant or condition of these Terms of Use is declared invalid, illegal, unenforceable, ineffective or inoperative for any reason, such declaration will not have the effect of invalidating or voiding the remainder of these Terms of Use. The part or parts of these Terms of Use so held to be invalid, illegal, unenforceable, ineffective or inoperative will be deemed to have been stricken from these Terms of Use and the remainder of these Terms of Use will have the same force and effect as if such part or parts had never been included in the Terms of Use herein.