Provider Code of Conduct

Introduction

Atelier Protocol LLC ("Atelier Protocol," "we," "our," or "us") is committed to supporting transparent, high-quality, ethical, and patient-centered telehealth services. This Provider Code of Conduct ("Code") establishes baseline professional, clinical, privacy, security, and operational expectations for licensed healthcare professionals who provide services through technology supported by Atelier Protocol. Providers remain subject to the policies, protocols, supervision, and governance of Wasef Health, PC. or the applicable medical group and retain independent clinical judgment.

Best Practices

Be Patient

Telemedicine may be unfamiliar to patients. Address questions with professionalism, kindness, cultural sensitivity, and sufficient explanation to support informed decision-making.

Always Explain

Provide clear explanations for clinical decisions, including when treatment or a requested prescription is not medically appropriate. Explain material risks, benefits, alternatives, follow-up requirements, and warning signs.

Follow Up

Follow applicable clinical protocols and communicate through approved secure channels. Identify patients requiring closer monitoring and take timely action consistent with the standard of care.

Document

Create complete, accurate, contemporaneous records of history, assessment, medical decision-making, diagnosis, treatment, prescriptions, informed consent, follow-up, referrals, patient communications, and reasons for overriding or departing from system alerts or protocols.

Check Messages

Review assigned messages and tasks at the frequency required by the Medical Group. Provide advance notice of expected unavailability exceeding forty-eight hours and comply with coverage and escalation requirements. Respond promptly when a communication indicates potential urgency.

Provider Protocols

Verify Identity

Confirm patient identity using the approved identity-verification process, including government identification, photograph, demographic matching, or other verification required by law or Medical Group policy. Resolve material discrepancies before treatment.

Verify Location

Confirm and document the patient's physical location at the time of the encounter when required. Provide care only where the Provider is appropriately licensed and authorized.

Follow State Protocols

Comply with state-specific requirements for telehealth consent, establishment of the provider-patient relationship, modality, examination, identity, prescribing, documentation, record retention, and follow-up.

Treat Oldest First

Absent clinical urgency, prioritize consultations in the order received to support timely and equitable service.

One Patient at a Time

Give each consultation appropriate attention. Do not intervene in another Provider's active treatment plan except through authorized coverage, escalation, quality review, transfer, or second-opinion procedures.

Practice Within Scope

Provide only services within the Provider's education, competence, license, certification, and delegated authority. Follow Medical Group credentialing and supervision requirements.

Independent Clinical Judgment

Never prescribe, deny, modify, or continue treatment based on sales goals, compensation, platform metrics, patient pressure, or nonclinical direction. The Provider's duty is to the patient and the applicable standard of care.

When Telehealth Is Inappropriate

At any time, determine whether telehealth is insufficient or not benefiting the patient. When in-person, urgent, emergency, or specialist care is indicated, explain the recommendation, document it, provide appropriate instructions or referrals, and take reasonable steps to support continuity of care.

Safety, Security, and Privacy

Medication Reconciliation and Interactions

Review current and recently discontinued medications, allergies, contraindications, duplicate therapies, relevant comorbidities, pregnancy status where applicable, and potential drug-drug or drug-disease interactions before prescribing.

When in Doubt

Do not prescribe based on incomplete, inconsistent, or unclear information. Obtain clarification, request records or testing, consult an appropriate colleague, or refer the patient for in-person evaluation when safety cannot be reasonably established.

Underlying Causes and Behavioral Health

Consider underlying medical and behavioral health concerns. Treat signs of depression, suicidality, substance misuse, eating disorders, abuse, cognitive impairment, or other safety risks with appropriate urgency and escalation.

Emergencies and Safety Plans

Know and follow emergency procedures, including verifying patient location when necessary, directing patients to 911 or emergency services, using crisis resources, contacting emergency contacts where lawful and appropriate, and documenting actions.

Standards of Care

Regularly review and follow applicable evidence, professional guidance, labeling, safety communications, Medical Group protocols, and continuing education requirements.

Confidential Credentials

Maintain unique login credentials and multi-factor authentication. Never share credentials, allow unauthorized access, or leave an authenticated session unattended.

Secure PHI

Access, use, disclose, and transmit protected health information only for authorized purposes and through approved HIPAA-compliant systems. Avoid public settings, unsecured networks, personal email, unapproved texting, screen capture, local downloads, or printing unless expressly authorized and safeguarded.

Minimum Necessary

Access and disclose only the minimum information reasonably necessary for the authorized purpose, except where the HIPAA minimum-necessary standard does not apply, such as treatment disclosures.

Incident Reporting

Immediately report suspected privacy, security, safety, medication, identity, or system incidents through the designated escalation channel. Preserve relevant records and do not conduct an unauthorized investigation.

Ethical Expectations

Do No Harm

Prioritize patient safety, welfare, dignity, and autonomy. Compensation, business interests, utilization goals, or patient satisfaction scores must not override clinical judgment.

No Improper Self-Referral

Do not direct patients to a private practice, pharmacy, laboratory, product, or business in which the Provider has a financial interest except as permitted by law, consistent with Medical Group policy, medically appropriate, and accompanied by required disclosures and alternatives.

Fitness for Duty

Do not provide care while impaired by alcohol, drugs, medication effects, illness, fatigue, emotional distress, or any condition that could compromise judgment or performance.

Nondiscrimination

Provide services without unlawful discrimination and make reasonable efforts to address disability, language, health literacy, and access needs consistent with law and available resources.

Truthful Communications

Do not make false, misleading, unsupported, or guaranteed claims concerning treatment, compounded medications, clinical outcomes, FDA status, or product availability.

No Patient Abandonment

Follow applicable requirements for notice, transition, urgent needs, record access, and continuity when ending or transferring a provider-patient relationship.

Licensure and Reporting

• Maintain all licenses, registrations, certifications, collaborative or supervisory arrangements, continuing education, credentialing information, and professional liability insurance required for assigned services.
• Practice only within authorized states, scopes, and prescribing privileges.
• Promptly notify the Medical Group of any investigation, complaint, arrest, charge, sanction, exclusion, adverse credentialing action, malpractice claim, loss or restriction of license, controlled-substance authority, DEA registration, board certification, hospital privileges, or insurance that could affect practice.
• Cooperate with audits, peer review, quality improvement, patient-safety review, compliance review, and lawful regulatory inquiries.

Platform and Operational Conduct

• Use the platform only for authorized professional purposes and comply with approved workflows.
• Do not manipulate queues, records, timestamps, diagnoses, prescriptions, metrics, or billing information.
• Do not copy patient information into unapproved tools, including public generative artificial intelligence services, personal cloud storage, or personal note applications.
• Report system defects that could affect patient safety, privacy, prescribing, billing, or record integrity.
• Do not make commitments on behalf of Atelier Protocol or the Medical Group unless expressly authorized.

Enforcement

Suspected violations may be investigated by the Medical Group, Atelier Protocol, or their authorized representatives. Corrective action may include education, monitoring, workflow restriction, suspension, removal from patient care, termination of platform access or contractual participation, reporting to a licensing board or government agency when required, and other action permitted by law or contract. Nothing in this Code limits the Medical Group's clinical governance authority or a Provider's legal and ethical duties.