Finding and checking care
Where can I discuss joint care?
Start with a visit where you can describe the joint problem and ask about a proposed plan.
A room or a screen
At a clinic visit, you can discuss the joint concern with someone face to face.
Telehealth means care discussed by video, phone or online messages.
You can ask either kind of service how it would assess the joint problem.
The health professional who assesses your care is called a clinician. Before paying for a visit, ask who that person will be, what the visit includes and how follow-up works.
The care standard still matters
The Federation of State Medical Boards brings together US medical boards; it says a screen visit and a visit in person must meet the same standards of care.
Read the basisMedical boards’ policy on remote care
If an assessment needs an in-person examination, the group’s policy requires the clinician to arrange the needed tests or direct the patient to someone able to help.
Read the basisMedical boards’ policy on tests and referrals
This is guidance for medical boards.
Ask the service how it would put those steps into practice for you. The state board is where to check the rules that apply to the clinician.