Yes. i-consult is built for Australian private clinics and hospitals, and patient data is protected at every step: where it is stored, who can open a questionnaire link, and who can see an episode in the dashboard. This page explains the safeguards in plain language, and is honest about what i-consult is *not* responsible for clinically.

For detailed security practices, data handling and compliance information, see the [Akuru Trust Centre](https://trust.akuru.com.au).

## Where your data lives

All i-consult data is processed and stored **in Australia**. This includes patient information, generated medical histories, chat transcripts and clinician records. No patient data leaves Australian infrastructure.

## How patients are kept secure

Patient access to the questionnaire is protected by several layers working together.

| Safeguard | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Time-limited access token** | Each patient receives a unique link containing a cryptographically generated token. The token is valid from 24 hours before the appointment through to one day after the appointment day, and cannot be reused. |
| **Date-of-birth verification** | Before the questionnaire opens, the patient must confirm their identity by entering their date of birth. This stops anyone who isn't the patient from opening the link. |
| **3-attempt lockout** | After three failed date-of-birth attempts, access is locked, preventing anyone from guessing their way in. |
| **Secure session** | Once verified, the patient's session is held securely for the duration of their questionnaire, so they can pause and resume on the same link without re-verifying every time. |

## Who can see what (role-based access)

i-consult enforces role-based access at every level, so each person only sees what they should.

| Role | What they can see |
|---|---|
| **Clinicians** | Only their own patient episodes. |
| **Secretaries** | Only episodes for the clinicians they are explicitly associated with. |
| **Patients** | Only their own questionnaire, via their unique, date-of-birth-verified token. |

## The audit trail

Every significant event on an episode is logged: token generation, SMS delivery, the patient's first access, verification attempts (successful and failed), chat start and completion, safety flags, and medical history generation. This gives the practice a comprehensive audit trail for compliance and clinical governance.

## What i-consult is, and isn't

i-consult helps your patient organise their history before the appointment. It is a preparation aid, not a clinical decision-maker, and it does not change who is responsible for the patient's care.

```callout kind="care"
**i-consult is not informed or written consent.** The questionnaire collects pre-consultation history to help you prepare. It does not constitute informed consent, written consent, or any form of clinical agreement. Consent remains a matter for you and your patient during the consultation.
```

```callout kind="care"
**Patient information is self-reported and unverified.** The generated medical history is an aid to preparation, not a substitute for history-taking during the consultation. You remain responsible for reviewing, confirming and, where necessary, correcting the history before relying on it for any clinical decision.
```

```callout kind="care"
**Safety detection flags a response for you to review; it is not emergency triage.** If a patient's responses suggest a potential safety concern, i-consult can flag the response for the clinician to review. This is not emergency triage, and it does not provide clinical advice, diagnosis or treatment to the patient. i-consult does not assess clinical urgency. If a patient needs urgent help, normal emergency pathways apply, and the clinician remains responsible for clinical follow-up.
```

## Related articles

- [Frequently asked questions](frequently-asked-questions): trial details, language support, who Akuru contacts to set up, and more.
- [Glossary](glossary): plain-language definitions of episode, safety flag, DOB verification, human review and other terms used here.
- [What the episode statuses mean](what-episode-statuses-mean): what Pending, Completed, Declined and Under Review tell you.