Clinical Policies & Procedures

Your agreement to the following terms and conditions is required for you to receive professional services from our providers.

Clinical Services

Medication Management

Override providers may prescribe medications for your pain. They do not prescribe opioid medications. They may offer recommendations for you to bring back to your current opioid prescriber. Override can also speak with your current prescriber if you prefer. You have the right to view all of your medical notes and may request to have documents sent to your existing providers.

Definition of Services

Pain Medicine: you will meet with a board-certified pain management physician who will perform an assessment, review your medical history, diagnoses, procedural history, and medications. The physician will make diagnoses, order medications or tests as needed, lead the interdisciplinary team, and track your progress with the team according to your Personalized Pain Plan.

Physical Therapy: you will meet with a licensed physical therapist with special training in chronic pain. The physical therapist will evaluate your physical functioning and mobility. Together, you will create movement and activity-pacing goals tailored to you.

Pain Psychology: a licensed mental health professional with special training in chronic pain is a valued part of our interdisciplinary team. Those who need behavioral health services will be recommended for treatment, which may include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance commitment therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), relaxation training, stress management, and pain coping skills training, among others.

1:1 Pain Coaching: you will meet individually with a certified chronic pain management coach. You will discuss strengths to overcome challenges and meet goals in a confidential, non-judgmental setting. (Your coach is not a psychotherapist, trainer, mentor, or consultant, and coaching does not take the place of psychotherapy or any type of healthcare.)

Group Coaching: you will have access to an optional coach-led group session weekly. The session serves as a peer support group, as well as an educational forum based on a pain management topic. Prior to each session, materials are sent to clients to read beforehand. During the session, the coach facilitates solution-focused discussion by encouraging input and questions from participants. The group format allows members to hear how others are coping with their pain and provides a community that applauds goals and celebrates successes.

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Group sessions are highly encouraged. By participating in group sessions, you may gain knowledge of confidential information of other patients. By signing this agreement, you agree to maintain said confidential information in confidence and not disclose it to any third party directly or indirectly unless or until: (a) it shall have been made public by an act or omission of a party other than you; or (b) you receive such Confidential Information from an unrelated third party on a non-confidential basis.

• Recommendations for productive group sessions:

• Participation: Your sharing will encourage others in the group to participate. Each experience with chronic pain is important; it helps group members understand  pain from another person’s point of view, and gets our unspoken thoughts into the open where we can explore them.
• Sharing time: Because the group environment limits talking to one person at a time, the coach facilitates discussion on elements of the day’s topic. We try to keep our comments and answers to the point so everyone gets a chance to participate. Please do share, but keep it focused and short—no more than 1-3 minutes each time.
• Safety: In order for everyone to feel safe and free to have open conversations in the group, we ask that what is said in the group stays in the group. Respecting confidentiality ensures that each of us receives the maximum benefit from our time together.

Individualized Treatment Plan

You will meet with a physician initially to determine your care plan and the members of your care team. After this initial visit, your care team will meet to discuss your pain condition and tailor a plan of care specific to you. A Personalized Pain Plan will be sent to you electronically detailing the goals of treatment. The plan will be adapted to meet your needs as you go through the program.

Medical Records

We are required by law to keep complete medical records. Our medical records will be electronic and encrypted. Any written records including letters, and outside medical records, will be scanned into your record. You are entitled to review your medical record at any time. If you wish to view your records, we recommend that we review them together to minimize any confusion or misinterpretation of medical terms.

Financial Responsibility/No-Show/Late Policy

If applicable, payment of all fees and/or co-pays is expected at the time of service or via credit card on file. We require a debit or credit card to be kept on file with our secure electronic medical and billing software. Payments can be made via credit/debit card and are due on the date of your appointment. You will be responsible for paying a $35 late cancellation fee for any missed or canceled initial visits, not canceled at least 24 hours in advance prior to the scheduled appointment time. Appointments canceled with 24+ hours' notice will not be subject to a cancellation fee, and payments already made to Override for canceled services will be kept on file as a credit to be used for an appointment at a later date. Override does not provide refunds or returns. If you default on your account, you understand you will be subject to finance and/or legal fees in addition to the total account balance.

Communication

The preferred method of communication between scheduled video appointments is through the secure patient portal within our technology portal, Healthie. Messages received through the portal are checked daily.

Messaging in Healthie will not replace face-to-face patient care. Your provider will determine if your concern can be addressed via messaging or if it needs to be addressed at the next visit.

If there is an urgent matter, you can also leave a message on Override’s voicemail at 646-598-8338. When you leave a message, please state your name clearly, your phone number(s) (even if you think we have it), the reason for calling, and the best time is to call you back. Please note that we will make every effort to address your issue as soon as possible. For non-urgent matters, please allow 24-48 hours for a response.

Social Media and Privacy Policies

Messaging your providers on social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn is not secure. It could compromise your confidentiality to use wall postings, @replies, or other means of engaging with Override or Override providers online. It may also create the possibility that these exchanges become a part of your legal medical record and will need to be documented and archived in your chart. We may not read these messages. Being linked as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise your confidentiality and our respective privacy.  

Discontinuation of Treatment

Disrespectful/ abusive behavior or harassment towards office staff or providers will not be tolerated and patients will be immediately terminated from the practice should this occur.

Override may discontinue treatment with a patient for the following reasons:

• Non-payment of your account.
• Canceling/missing appointments too often.
• Non-compliance with treatment recommendations.
• Withdrawal of treatment is necessary due to medical, financial, or legal problems or geographic relocation.
• Lack of attendance and/or motivation prevents further progress toward goal achievement.
• Inappropriate behavior relative to self, staff or other clients (i.e. threatening and/or intimidating behaviors)
• Failure to comply with the provisions of the Policies and Procedures as stated in this document.
• Successful completion of the treatment program initially agreed upon, implying that the patient has made significant progress toward meeting treatment goals.
• Patient chooses to terminate treatment.

If you foresee problems in any of these areas, please let the team know your concerns. If you decide to discontinue treatment, you can do so at any time in person, by phone, or in writing.

In the event that you discontinue treatment without notifying your team, it will be assumed that your relationship with Override terminated 90 days after your last visit, unless you have an appointment scheduled for a future date, beyond which Override carries no further responsibility for your care. You may re-enter treatment at Override as long as you ended your treatment in good standing and Override is accepting new patients.

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