Finding and checking care
What happens in an online visit?
Start by describing your joint problem. Ask how the clinician will learn what care you need before you choose a medicine from a list.
Prepare the story you want to tell
Note the joint symptoms, their start and the activities you hope to manage. Keep your medicine list and any past care notes within reach.
For a video visit, choose a place where you can hear and speak. For a written visit, keep copies of what you send and the replies you receive.
The format needs to fit the care
The model policy of the Federation of State Medical Boards permits remote visits that are live or written if they meet the care standard, as of September 2026.
Read the basisMedical boards’ model for online visits
A model policy is guidance for state boards; the state’s own rules decide what is required.
In a written visit, the clinician still needs to learn about your joint problem. Ask how they will get any missing details.
In guidance adopted in May 2026, the medical boards’ group rejects treatment based only on a patient’s menu choice and calls for follow-up questions from patients.
Read the basisMedical boards’ guidance on prescribing
Before the visit ends, ask how you will get the written plan and whom you can reach with an unanswered question.