Clinical Ethics Policy

This Policy applies to all individuals who provide or support clinical care at MediVision — including ophthalmologists, optometrists, nurses, technicians, trainees, and administrative and support staff, whether employed, visiting, or engaged on contract. Its purpose is to set a common ethical standard for how patients are cared for and how clinical decisions are made across every branch. It complements, and is read together with, our Privacy Policy and Website Terms, and the professional codes binding individual practitioners.

Our clinical practice is guided by the core principles of medical ethics:

• Beneficence — acting in the best interest of the patient's sight and overall wellbeing;
• Non-maleficence — avoiding harm, and carefully weighing the risks and benefits of every intervention;
• Patient autonomy — respecting each patient's right to make informed decisions about their own care; and
• Justice — ensuring fair, non-discriminatory access to quality eye care for every patient, regardless of background.

These principles are supported by a commitment to veracity (truthfulness) and confidentiality throughout the patient's care.

Every patient treated at MediVision is entitled to:

• Receive care with dignity, respect, courtesy, and without discrimination on the basis of religion, caste, gender, age, disability, nationality, or economic status;
• Receive competent care from qualified doctors, optometrists, and clinical staff, using appropriately maintained equipment;
• Have their physical privacy and dignity respected during examination and treatment, including the option to request a chaperone;
• Be informed, in a language and manner they understand, about their diagnosis, treatment options, expected outcomes, and associated risks;
• Ask questions, seek clarification, and request a second opinion before consenting to any procedure;
• Refuse or discontinue treatment, and be told the likely consequences of doing so (see Section 5);
• Confidentiality of their medical records and personal information, as further described in our Privacy Policy;
• Access emergency eye care regardless of ability to pay, with financial counselling made available thereafter; and
• Raise concerns or complaints about the care received, and have them addressed through our grievance redressal process, without fear of the quality of subsequent care being affected.

No surgical or invasive procedure, including but not limited to cataract surgery, refractive/LASIK procedures, retinal or glaucoma interventions, or oculoplastic surgery, is performed without the patient's (or, where the patient is a minor or otherwise unable to consent, their parent's or legal guardian's) informed consent. Informed consent at MediVision includes:

• A clear explanation of the diagnosis and the recommended procedure;
• Discussion of reasonable alternative treatments, including the option of no treatment;
• An honest explanation of expected benefits, likely outcomes, and material risks or complications, including the possibility that outcomes may vary between patients;
• Disclosure of the approximate cost of treatment; and
• An opportunity for the patient to ask questions and, where desired, to consult family members or seek a second opinion before proceeding.

Consent is documented in writing prior to any surgical procedure. A patient may withdraw consent at any point prior to the commencement of a procedure.

A patient — or, for a minor or a patient unable to consent, their parent or legal guardian — has the right to decline a recommended investigation, treatment, or procedure, or to withdraw consent before a procedure begins. Where a patient refuses recommended care, the treating doctor will explain, without pressure, the possible consequences for their eye health, and will record the decision. A patient's decision to refuse a particular treatment will not affect the courtesy, respect, or standard of the other care they receive.

All information shared by a patient, and all clinical findings, diagnoses, and treatment records, are treated as strictly confidential. Access to patient records is restricted to treating doctors and clinical staff directly involved in the patient's care, on a need-to-know basis. Information is disclosed to third parties (such as insurers, referring doctors, or family members) only with the patient's consent, or where disclosure is required or permitted by law, such as statutory public-health reporting or a valid court order. Further detail is set out in our Privacy Policy.

• All doctors practising at MediVision are qualified ophthalmologists registered with the applicable State Medical Council and/or the National Medical Commission, practising within their area of training and competence;
• Doctors and clinical staff are expected to keep their clinical knowledge and surgical skills current through continuing medical education;
• Clinical decisions, including the choice of surgical technique, intraocular lens, or treatment modality, are made on the basis of the patient's clinical need and best interest, and not on the basis of financial incentive; and
• Doctors will refer patients to another specialist or centre where a condition falls outside their expertise or the capability of the branch concerned.

• We provide honest and realistic information about diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options, without overstating benefits or minimising risks in order to encourage a particular treatment or procedure;
• Treatment recommendations are based on clinical need rather than commercial considerations;
• Patients are informed of the estimated cost of consultation, diagnostics, and treatment in advance, and any changes to cost are communicated promptly; and
• We do not engage in unnecessary or unindicated testing, treatment, or surgery.

Where a clinical outcome is unexpected, or where an error or complication occurs in the course of care, MediVision is committed to open and honest disclosure. The patient (or their family, where appropriate) will be informed of what happened in a timely and compassionate manner, given an explanation and, where relevant, an apology, and told what steps are being taken in their ongoing care. Such events are reviewed internally so that lessons are learned and the risk of recurrence is reduced.

• Doctors and staff are expected to disclose and avoid situations where personal, financial, or other interests could reasonably be seen to influence clinical judgment, including in relation to referrals, use of specific products or devices, or corporate/insurance empanelment arrangements;
• Any tie-up, empanelment, or corporate partnership does not alter the clinical independence of the treating doctor in recommending what is medically appropriate for the individual patient;
• Doctors and staff maintain appropriate professional boundaries with patients and do not exploit the trust of the doctor–patient relationship for personal, financial, or other advantage; and
• Staff do not solicit, and do not accept, gifts, hospitality, or inducements that could improperly influence, or appear to influence, clinical decisions or referrals.

11.1 Paediatric Patients

For minors, informed consent is obtained from a parent or legal guardian, and the treatment plan is explained in a manner appropriate to the child's age and understanding, with the child's assent sought wherever feasible.

11.2 Elderly and Patients with Reduced Capacity

Additional care is taken to ensure that elderly patients, or those with cognitive or communication difficulties, are given adequate time, simplified explanations, and support from a family member or caregiver, where appropriate, to understand their diagnosis and treatment options before consenting.

MediVision provides 24×7 emergency eye-care support and will provide emergency stabilising treatment to any patient presenting with a sight- or eye-threatening emergency, irrespective of their ability to immediately pay, consistent with applicable medical ethics guidance on emergency care. Financial or administrative formalities will not delay emergency clinical assessment and stabilisation.

Clinical photographs, diagnostic images, or case details are used for the patient's own medical record, treatment planning, and continuity of care. Such material is used for teaching, publication, marketing, or testimonials only with the specific, separate, informed consent of the patient (or guardian), and any identifying details are removed or the patient's identity is protected unless the patient has expressly agreed otherwise.

Where MediVision is involved in corneal transplantation or in eye or tissue donation, such activity is carried out ethically and in accordance with applicable law, including the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994 (and the rules made thereunder), and recognised eye-banking standards. Eye and tissue donation is voluntary and altruistic, undertaken only with the valid, informed consent of the donor or the donor's family, and there is no buying or selling of human eyes or tissue. Donor corneal tissue is allocated on the basis of clinical need and fair, transparent criteria, and recipients are counselled and give informed consent before transplantation.

As a centre that supports clinical training, some care may involve optometry or ophthalmology trainees. Trainees act only under the supervision of qualified clinicians and within their level of competence. Where a trainee is to be meaningfully involved in a patient's examination or procedure, the patient is informed and may decline such involvement without any effect on the standard of their care.

Where MediVision participates in clinical research, trials, or the evaluation of new techniques or devices, such activity is conducted only with the patient's specific informed consent, and in accordance with applicable ethical guidelines and, where required, appropriate institutional or ethics-committee oversight. Participation in research is voluntary, and a decision not to participate does not affect the standard of routine care a patient receives.

Patients are free to seek a second opinion from another doctor or institution at any stage, and MediVision will, upon request, provide copies of relevant medical records and reports to facilitate this. We support continuity of care for patients transferring their treatment to or from another provider.

Patients or their families who have concerns about the ethical conduct of care, or wish to raise a complaint, may do so through the channels below, and can expect the matter to be reviewed promptly and impartially by senior clinical and administrative staff. Complex ethical questions may be referred to MediVision's clinical leadership or, where appropriate, an ethics committee.

Raising a concern or complaint will never adversely affect the quality of care a patient subsequently receives at any MediVision branch.

This Clinical Ethics Policy is intended to operate alongside, and does not override, the applicable professional codes of conduct binding individual doctors and healthcare professionals, including the NMC / Medical Council Code of Ethics Regulations, nursing and allied-health professional standards, and applicable Indian healthcare, consumer-protection, and data-protection laws. Where any conflict arises between this Policy and a binding statutory or regulatory requirement, the statutory or regulatory requirement shall prevail.

This Clinical Ethics Policy is reviewed periodically by MediVision's clinical leadership to ensure it remains consistent with evolving medical practice, technology, and regulatory requirements. The version published on our Website is the version currently in effect.