Finding care · An explainer
Where does care begin?
Your starting point might be your usual health professional, a clinic you visit in person, or a service offering care remotely. Ask how the visit will assess what you need.
Compare the whole care service.
An in-person visit means meeting in a room. Telehealth brings the care discussion to a screen, a telephone call, or messages online. Ask how you will share your history and put questions to the clinician.
Boards responsible for doctors' licences come together within the Federation of State Medical Boards, their shared organisation. Its advice is to hold care online to the standard of an appointment in the room with a doctor.
Medical board advice · Care during an online visitIts advice also calls for a referral to care in person when a needed examination or test is beyond what an online visit can provide.
Medical board guidance · When a referral is neededThese are recommendations for state boards to consider. The rules in your state decide what the service must do.
Get the names behind the service.
Get the full name of the person assessing you, together with details of their licence. Ask which pharmacy would make or dispense the medicine. A company name at the top of a website may leave those questions unanswered.
People looking online for compounded drugs may be unsure who prepared them, notes the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA is the federal body responsible for reviewing medicines.
FDA · Knowing who prepared the medicineOnce you have the names, open the relevant state board's records. Look up the person and the pharmacy individually; each has its own role in your care.
Find the licence checksAsk what happens after the visit.
How will you ask a follow-up question? Who will explain the written instructions? If the plan changes, who will discuss that with you?
Also ask what you pay if the clinician does not prescribe. Read any membership and cancellation terms before agreeing to them. Keep the answers where you can find them later.