Telehealth Informed Consent
Secure care from wherever you are in Colorado.
Telehealth makes it possible to receive psychiatric services through secure electronic technology when you and your provider are in different locations. This page explains how telehealth works, its benefits and limitations, your responsibilities, emergency procedures, privacy considerations, and your right to choose whether to participate.
Effective August 2026 · Last updated July 2026
Understanding Telehealth
Care delivered through secure electronic communication.
Telehealth may include secure video appointments, clinically appropriate audio communication, electronic forms, patient-portal communication, electronic prescribing, care coordination, and the secure exchange of treatment-related information.
By choosing to participate, you voluntarily consent to receiving appropriate services through telehealth. Telehealth may be used for psychiatric evaluation, medication management, follow-up care, supportive interventions, education, and coordination with other healthcare professionals.
Benefits & Limitations
Telehealth can improve access, but it is not appropriate for every situation.
Potential Benefits
- Improved access to psychiatric care
- Reduced travel and transportation barriers
- Greater convenience for work, school, childcare, or illness
- Continuity of care across distances within Colorado
- Ability to participate from a familiar private setting
Risks & Limitations
- Internet, platform, audio, or video failure
- Possible delays in evaluation or treatment
- Privacy risks in non-private locations
- Limited ability to observe some physical or environmental details
- Inability to perform a complete physical examination
- Possible need for laboratory testing, vital signs, or in-person care
- Limited suitability for some urgent or higher-risk psychiatric concerns
No electronic communication system can guarantee uninterrupted access or complete security. Reasonable safeguards will be used, but technology and privacy risks cannot be eliminated entirely.
Location & Technology
Your physical location matters during every appointment.
You must tell your provider where you are physically located at the beginning of each appointment. Psychiatric services may be provided only when you are in Colorado or another jurisdiction where the treating professional is legally authorized to practice.
If you are outside an authorized location, the appointment may need to be canceled, rescheduled, shortened, or redirected to another provider. You are responsible for maintaining accurate contact and location information.
Confirm your location Provide the address or location where you are attending.
Use a private setting Choose a safe place where you can speak without being overheard.
Do not attend while driving You may not participate while operating a vehicle or machinery.
Provide a backup number Keep a reliable telephone available in case the connection fails.
Technology Backup Plan
If the connection fails, we will determine the safest next step.
If audio, video, internet, or the telehealth platform stops working, Welch Psychiatric Group may attempt to reconnect, contact you by telephone, continue through another clinically and legally appropriate method, or reschedule the appointment.
If the appointment cannot be completed, any rescheduling or financial implications will be handled according to the clinical circumstances and the practice’s Financial and Cancellation Policy.
Privacy & Confidentiality
Privacy is a shared responsibility.
Welch Psychiatric Group will use reasonable administrative, technical, and professional safeguards to protect your information during telehealth services. You are responsible for protecting privacy in the environment and on the device you choose to use.
Attend from a private and safe location whenever possible.
Use a secure internet connection and headphones when helpful.
Protect your login information, passwords, portal, and devices.
Tell your provider if another person is present or can hear the visit.
Avoid public spaces, shared workplaces, or other locations without reasonable privacy.
Recording Is Not Permitted
Telehealth appointments may not be recorded, photographed, livestreamed, transcribed, screenshotted, duplicated, or shared by you or anyone present without prior written consent from Welch Psychiatric Group and every participant. Welch Psychiatric Group will not record sessions without appropriate authorization and consent.
Emergency Procedures
Telehealth appointments are not emergency or crisis services.
Do not wait for a scheduled appointment, portal message, email, text, voicemail response, or routine callback if you are experiencing an emergency.
During an appointment, if your provider believes you or another person may be in danger, Welch Psychiatric Group may contact emergency services, crisis services, your emergency contact, law enforcement, or other appropriate supports when permitted or required by law.
Emergency Contact
Keep your emergency information current.
You may be required to provide an emergency contact before receiving services. This person may be contacted when there is a serious concern for your safety, when you cannot be reached during an urgent situation, or when contact is otherwise clinically appropriate and legally permitted.
Clinical Appropriateness
Telehealth may not be the right level of care for every need.
Your provider will determine whether telehealth remains clinically appropriate based on your symptoms, safety, location, medical needs, treatment response, available support, and ability to participate meaningfully.
Welch Psychiatric Group may recommend an in-person examination, laboratory testing, vital signs, primary care, specialty care, therapy, urgent evaluation, intensive outpatient treatment, partial hospitalization, residential care, or inpatient hospitalization.
Controlled Medications
Prescribing is never guaranteed and always depends on safety.
Controlled-substance prescribing through telehealth is governed by federal and state law, professional standards, pharmacy requirements, clinical judgment, and changing regulations.
Controlled medications may include stimulants, benzodiazepines, sedative-hypnotics, certain sleep medications, and other regulated prescriptions. An appointment does not guarantee that any particular medication will be prescribed or continued.
Welch Psychiatric Group may decline, modify, taper, or discontinue a controlled medication when treatment is unsafe, not clinically appropriate, outside the practice’s scope, or inconsistent with legal or professional standards.
Treatment may require:
- Comprehensive psychiatric evaluation
- Review of prior records and prescription history
- Colorado prescription-monitoring review
- Urine or other drug screening when appropriate
- A controlled-medication treatment agreement
- Vital signs, laboratory testing, or medical evaluation
- Regular follow-up appointments
- Coordination with other healthcare professionals
- An in-person evaluation or referral when required
Shared Responsibilities
Safe telehealth care depends on honest information and clear communication.
Patient Responsibilities
- Provide accurate identity, health, medication, and contact information
- Confirm your physical location at each appointment
- Maintain current emergency-contact information
- Attend from a private, safe, and stationary location
- Use reliable technology and internet whenever possible
- Arrive on time and be available for the scheduled visit
- Tell the provider if another person is present
- Report changes in symptoms, medications, substances, or safety
- Use emergency resources rather than routine communication during emergencies
Practice Responsibilities
- Use appropriate telehealth technology and reasonable safeguards
- Maintain professional and documentation standards
- Evaluate whether telehealth is clinically appropriate
- Discuss relevant benefits, risks, and limitations
- Protect privacy and confidentiality as required by law
- Address safety concerns using professional judgment
- Recommend alternative or higher-level care when indicated
- Coordinate care when appropriate and authorized
Additional Consent Information
Important details to review before participating.
Electronic Communication +
Portal messages, email, text messages, voicemail, website forms, and other electronic communications may not be reviewed immediately. These methods are intended primarily for routine administrative or nonurgent communication.
Do not use routine electronic communication for suicidal thoughts, threats of harm, severe medication reactions, rapidly worsening symptoms, overdose, withdrawal, psychosis, or other emergencies.
People Present During the Appointment +
You must tell your provider if another person is present, can hear the appointment, or is participating. The provider may ask who the person is, why they are present, and whether you consent to their involvement.
The provider may request that another person leave when necessary to support privacy, safety, clinical assessment, or independent communication with the patient.
Medical Evaluation and Outside Services +
Telehealth psychiatric care does not replace emergency services, primary care, a physical examination, laboratory services, or medical specialty care. You may be asked to obtain vital signs, laboratory tests, an electrocardiogram, pregnancy testing, a physical examination, or another medical assessment.
Costs charged by outside laboratories, pharmacies, medical practices, hospitals, or other organizations are separate from Welch Psychiatric Group’s appointment fees.
Right to Withdraw Consent +
You may withdraw your consent to telehealth by notifying Welch Psychiatric Group in writing. Withdrawal does not affect services already provided or actions already taken with your consent.
Because Welch Psychiatric Group primarily provides care through telehealth, withdrawing consent may limit the practice’s ability to continue treating you. Referral to another provider may be recommended when appropriate.
Other Practice Agreements +
This consent should be reviewed together with the Notice of Privacy Practices, Financial and Cancellation Policy, service-specific treatment agreements, medication agreements, patient responsibilities, and other forms required for your care.
Acknowledgment & Consent
Participation in telehealth is voluntary.
By participating in telehealth services with Welch Psychiatric Group, you acknowledge that you have reviewed and understood this information, have had an opportunity to ask questions, understand the potential benefits, risks, responsibilities, and alternatives, and voluntarily consent to receiving telehealth services when clinically appropriate.
The acknowledgment on this website is informational. A separate signed consent may be required through the secure patient portal before services are provided.
Questions Before Your Visit?
You deserve to understand how your care will be provided.
Contact our office if you have questions about telehealth, privacy, technology, location requirements, emergency procedures, or consent before scheduling.