Look at the care
Where to begin looking for care
Look for a visit about your symptoms with a doctor or another licensed health professional. Check that person's licence before booking.
Check permission to treat you
A licence is permission from a state to practise. Ask for the licence of the person treating you, as well as the service name.
- HHS stands for the Department of Health and Human Services in the US. Its guidance, current as of September 2026, requires authority to practise where the patient is during a telehealth visit.
- State medical boards make doctors' licence status and public discipline records available; what they show varies by state.
- Ask for that person's name and the board that holds the licence record.
Open the check
Find your state medical boardPlan the visit around your symptoms
Start with the kind of visit
An in-person visit puts you in the same room as the person treating you. Telehealth means a visit from a distance, such as by video or phone.
- For an in-person option, ask whether the visit will focus on your symptoms and the possible causes.
- For a telehealth option, ask how to share records and ask follow-up questions.
- For either option, ask whether a hands-on exam will be needed.
Leave room for a different answer
A useful visit can end with more questions, an exam, or another option to discuss.
- Medical board guidance sets the same care standard for remote visits and visits in person.
- That guidance says to arrange tests or refer for a visit in person if the assessment requires them.
- Ask what the person treating you recommends for your symptoms, including options besides an injection.