Clarify how the visit will happen
Remote care, called telehealth, may use a video link, a phone conversation or written back-and-forth online.
State rules for online prescribing differ, as checked in September 2026.
The September 2026 US guidance says your location during the visit matters. The doctor must be allowed to practise in that state.
Ask whether the proposed format works for the state where you will be. Ask whether seeing someone in person would make the assessment more useful.
How will we decide whether an online visit can cover the assessment?
Leave space for follow-up questions
In May 2026, a national group representing state medical boards said that a patient’s treatment choice from a menu alone falls short of care standards.
That is the group’s guidance; binding rules come from each state.
The Federation of State Medical Boards is the national body behind that guidance. Ask how you and the person assessing you will be able to ask each other follow-up questions.
What else do we need to understand before talking about a prescription?
Bring a brief account of the problem
- Note what is bothering you and what change would matter in daily life.
- List the medicines you take, and add any supplements to the same note.
- Keep past test results handy if you want to discuss them.
- Write down the questions that feel hardest to ask.
Use the list to help the conversation, without trying to diagnose yourself.
Agree on the next point of contact
Where tests or an examination are needed, the medical board group’s guidance calls for the doctor to arrange them.
Who reviews test results, explains them and agrees on the next step with me?
Open the source notes
Choose a record to read the source behind a claim.