Picture the assessment
What happens before a prescription?
Use the visit to explore what is happening. Ask for the reasons behind any proposed drug.
Bring your concern in ordinary words
Describe the concern in the words you would use with a friend. Add what you want the visit to clear up. Set out the medicines you take and gather any records you want the health professional to see.
Ask how the visit works before it begins: live video, a call, or a written exchange. Also ask who reads the information and how you can add something you forgot.
A form can start the exchange
A national group of state medical boards says care can sometimes start without a video call or an earlier in-person visit. Care given in person sets the standard that this online assessment must also meet.
In the group’s view, treatment decisions need more than answers on a fixed form. The doctor needs a way to follow up with questions and gather enough information for your assessment.
These are recommendations for state boards; your state’s own rules decide what is allowed. September 26, 2026 was the check date for this guidance.
Ask: “How will the health professional follow up on an answer that needs more explanation?” Ask how the visit can answer your concern.
Make the next step explicit
For tests needed in the assessment, the group recommends three options: the doctor performs them, arranges them, or refers you elsewhere.
For each test, ask what question it could answer. Ask who discusses results with you and what a finding would mean for the plan.
Before ending the visit, ask how to send a follow-up question and who will reply. Write down what happens if the health professional decides against a prescription.