Prepare for the visit and what follows
- What is troubling you, and where?
- When did you first notice it?
- What have you already tried or been told?
- What medicines and supplements do you use?
- Which past records could help explain the concern?
Bring that note to the discussion. Ask the service what it wants in advance, and how to send it through its own care process.
Ask how the assessment works
Screen-based care and an in-person visit must meet an equal standard, according to medical-board guidance reviewed in September 2026.
Note AThese are recommendations for state boards. The rules a clinician must follow come from the state.
Ask who will read your history, who will speak with you and what opportunity you have to raise questions yourself. Ask what could make an exam or test necessary.
Arranging necessary tests, or making a referral for them, is required of the clinician in guidance checked in September 2026.
Note BPlan how to raise later questions
Before the visit ends, ask who handles later questions. Ask what happens if the clinician cannot answer the concern online.
Patients need an opportunity to bring further questions of their own to the clinician, says guidance reviewed in September 2026.
Note CGet the proposed next step in plain words. Ask for clarification if a term or label still feels unclear.