DigiDerm offers FREE ongoing WhatsApp support to all our patients and customers. This allows us to provide our patients with secure, confidential and direct access to the expertise of our dermatology clinicians, at the touch of a button!

Before engaging with our services via WhatsApp it is acknowledged you have agreed and consented with the below Policy.

• Clinical Enquires– Once you have completed a digital consultation (either a questionnaire-based, telephone or video consultation) then you will be able to message us on our dedicated WhatsApp Business number for clinical advice and support. Please note that we will only answer patient-specific clinical queries if you are an existing patient and we have suitably verified your identity.

 

• General Enquiries– You can also WhatsApp message us for General Enquiries. This would be for enquiries that do not require us to verify your identity before we message, such as how to use the website or what services we offer. Or if you just want to Say Hi! 😊

 

• With all WhatsApp messages, we’ll aim to get back to you ASAP and usually within a maximum of 48 working hours- you can message us any time day or night.

 

• When you send us a message, if you are an existing patient, you will be asked to verify your identity by providing some details that we will check against your DigiDerm account. Without suitable verification then we absolutely cannot proceed as this would be unsafe for both the patient and the clinician.

 

• After suitable identity verification, any clinical information that is shared between the patient and the clinician via WhatsApp will be promptly transferred and stored within our clinical system, to be used for the purposes of delivering ongoing safe and effective medical care only. All information is confidential and stored securely. For more information see our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

 

• Once you begin a WhatsApp chat with us, for clinical queries you will be assigned a DigiDerm Clinician to answer your questions. Whilst we make every effort to offer you the same Clinician each time you contact us, it may vary depending on availability. Any clinician that you interact with will have access to the same medical history and previous images etc so we can maintain a high level of continuity of care. Our clinicians may ask you to bring them ‘up to speed’ with your skin condition and history sometimes, if they have not helped you before, to get the full clinical picture.

 

• WhatsApp chats are deemed to be closed if there is no reply from a patient or customer after 24 hours of the last sent message.. Once closed, the chat will be deleted and the patient will have to start a new chat if help is still required.
• We do not accept incoming voice calls or WhatsApp audio calls.

 

• Before and during engaging with DigiDerm services via WhatsApp, you consent to following and where reasonable, implementing the following advice as recommended as good practice by the Transformation Directorate (NHS England), as reviewed by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and National Data Guardian (NDG):

 

1. Minimise the amount of personal/confidential patient information you communicate via mobile messaging.
2. Do not allow anyone else to use your device.
3. Switch on additional security settings such as two-step verification.
4. Set your device to require a passcode immediately, and for it to lock out after a short period of not being used.
5. Disable message notifications on your device’s lock-screen.
6. Enable the remote-wipe feature in case your device is lost or stolen. You should be aware that if this happens, then everything is deleted from your phone, including contacts and photos.
7. Ensure you are communicating with the correct person or group, especially if you have many similar names stored in your personal device’s address book.
8. Separate your social groups on mobile messaging from any groups that share clinical or personal information.
9. Review any links to other apps that may be included with the mobile messaging software and consider whether they are best switched off.
10. Unlink the app from your photo library.
11. Be sure to follow relevant policies in relation to mobile devices and mobile messaging:

 

WhatsApp’s Privacy Policy can be accessed at – https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/privacy-policy-eea

WhatsApp’s Terms of Service can be accessed at – https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/terms-of-service-eea

 

Further information on  Patient Confidentiality, Security and Data protection.

DigiDerm uses ‘WhatsApp for Business’ by Meta, to conduct its WhatsApp messaging services. This is a highly secure system with End-to-end encryption that ensures only you and the person you’re communicating with can read or listen to what is sent, and nobody in between, not even WhatsApp.

Whilst we do our best to meet the WhatsApp response timeframes as listed above, we have no legal obligation to respond within these timeframes and they are a guide only. We will not be liable for any harm, loss or damage related to the patient by not responding within these timeframes. If you believe you have an urgent medical problem then please seek urgent medical care, for example, by calling your GP. See our Urgent Care page for more information.

 

The DigiDerm WhatsApp service for clinical queries is for existing, registered, verified patients only- it  is designed to provide ongoing brief advice and support to the patient regarding existing conditions that have previously been treated by DigiDerm clinicians. We do not offer definitive diagnosis, treatment or advice for new dermatological conditions via WhatsApp. During a WhatsApp chat with a verified patient, the prescriber may recommend new treatments or medications for existing conditions that may be suitable, however, the patient will still need to go through an official consultation process using an online questionnaire-based consultation or a telephone or video consultation before a medicine is prescribed.

 

Every WhatsApp message, including messages between people and businesses, is protected by the same industry-leading, signal encryption protocol, that protects messages from before they’re sent until they’re delivered to the intended recipient.

 

The WhatsApp Business Platform is protected by a combination of people, processes, and technology security systems that keeps customer data private and secure. The Cloud API is hosted by Meta. Meta uses Defense in Depth, meaning they layer a number of protections to make sure they prevent and address vulnerabilities in our code from multiple angles.

 

The Cloud API is certified under SOC 2 and maintains strict governance to ensure data is handled appropriately. They also conduct regular penetration testing and document their controls through the Cloud Security Alliance Consensus Assessments Initiative Questionnaire.

Meta takes data protection and people’s privacy very seriously, and they’re committed to continuing to comply with data protection laws. The WhatsApp Business Platform allows customers to continue to meet their obligations under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Meta complies with applicable legal, industry, and regulatory requirements as well as industry best practices.

Every WhatsApp message, including messages between people and businesses, is protected by the same industry-leading, signal encryption protocol that protects messages from before they’re sent until they’re delivered to the intended recipient. Messages with businesses that use the WhatsApp Business app or directly integrate with the On-premises API are end-to-end encrypted.

If you have any questions regarding our WhatsApp Policy, then please email support@digiderm.co.uk.