Guide to Using Spakinect for New Clients
- HIPPA Compliance
- All patients evaluated by a Spakinect telehealth provider should be located in a HIPPA compliant space. This means they are in a private room where they can discuss their health history with one of our providers, and where other patients or non-treating clinical staff cannot hear and/or have access to their PHI (Protected Health Information).
- The lobby or other high traffic areas are not an appropriate place to conduct the evaluation and our providers will request that the patient be relocated.
- Required Patient information
- It is important to enter the patient’s full name exactly as it is spelled on their legal documents and an accurate date of birth. This information will populate onto the GFE document which becomes part of the patient’s medical record.
- Please ensure that the patient is prepared for the evaluation prior to the GFE, meaning they have been instructed to discuss their relevant health history with our provider and have a complete list of all of their medications readily available.
- It is always advised that a patient discuss potential elective treatments with their treating physician. If the patient has existing medical conditions and has received a prior clearance from a specialist, this is something they are encouraged to provide during the evaluation.
- Order of Operations
- When selecting treatments, please try to select treatments that our shared patients have expressed interest in receiving. This helps keep our wait times low and keeps the length of the evaluation and number of questions manageable.
- Keep in mind, our providers will confirm the selected treatments with the patient before beginning the evaluation and must obtain the patient's consent to continue with the telehealth evaluation.
- Once the GFE has been completed, it is recommended to always log into your client portal to access the completed GFE prior to treatment. This ensures that there are no gaps in communication regarding conditional approvals or special instructions from our providers that must be followed before treatment.
- All special instructions, clinical recommendations, and treatment deferrals will be communicated directly to clinical staff upon completion of the GFE. It is best to have onsite staff available for collaboration or assistance if needed.
- Deferral
- All deferrals made by our providers are based on the manufacturer guidelines of the treatment or medical device. If a treatment is deferred by one of our providers, this does not mean that your patient cannot receive the treatment. It simply means that the final decision for treatment will be left to your medical director and not the Spakinect provider.
- Please follow the instructions in your client portal on how your medical director can override any decision that is made by our providers (based on your own standard operating procedures or the clinical guidance established by your MD).
- Minors (Age 13-17)
- Per Spakinect company policy, patients 13-17 years of age may be evaluated ONLY for the following treatments: Laser hair removal/reduction, Acne laser, IPL/BBL, LED Light Therapy, Facials (HydraFacial included), Microdermabrasion, Dermaplaning, Chemical peels, B12 injection, Diamond Glow, Venus Glow, and Medical Grade Skin Care.
- A legal guardian must be present to provide consent. No phone or video call consents will be accepted.
- Patients under the age of 13 will not be evaluated for any treatments.
- Non-English Speaking Patients
- There must be a staff member, licensed interpreter, guardian, or family member present who is fluent in the patient's language to be able to translate accurately.
- If no one is present to interpret, the Spakinect provider will not be able to complete the evaluation. Phone or video calls to facilitate translation will not be accepted.
- Pregnant and/or Breastfeeding
- Per Spakinect company policy, we cannot recommend treatment plans patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding. However, we will do the evaluation for your patient so that your medical director or supervising physician can review their note and order any treatments they recommend.
- Technology
- If you have an unstable WiFi connection and experience issues connecting, please call our office. If you remove your patient from the waiting room and re-enter them again, you will lose your place in line and we will not be able to prioritize you. It is recommended to place the patient into the waiting room when they are ready for the evaluation and where you have the most stable connection.
- Consent
- Ideally, our shared patients should undergo a consultation with the clinical staff for all treatments being requested before seeing our telehealth providers.
- Please inform the patient of the reason and purpose of the good faith evaluation prior to entering them in our waiting room. This makes the patient more comfortable with the telehealth visit and will allow for a more efficient evaluation with our providers. If the patient is unwilling to provide information to Spakinect providers such as Date of Birth and pertinent Medical History, we will be unable to complete the evaluation.
- Obtaining an informed consent from patients before treatment is a separate document from our Good Faith Evaluation and it is still the responsibility of the onsite clinical staff to ensure that the patient fully understands the treatment and all possible risks and complications.