Care through a screen or a call.
Telehealth.
Compare how you will be assessed, not just where you will be seen.
US care access, as of September 2026.
The definition.
Care provided remotely by video, phone or an online exchange is called telehealth.
An asynchronous visit is an exchange at different times: you send information, then the health professional reviews it and replies.
Compare the visit, not just the setting.
Online care
Ask about the exchange.
How can I ask my own questions? Who reads the information I send? What happens if an examination is needed?
In-person care
Ask about the assessment.
What will the visit cover? Can I discuss the memory concern before deciding about a medicine?
Either setting
Ask about the next conversation.
Who will answer questions after the visit? How will we tell whether this plan is helping?
Begin by choosing a telehealth service that is licensed or a practice you can visit in person, then check who provides care and how.
Online care still needs an assessment.
State bodies responsible for licensing doctors make up the Federation of State Medical Boards. This group's guidance says proper care needs more than choosing treatment from a menu.
The guidance recommends a way for patients to ask their own questions after the visit.
These are recommendations for state medical boards. The rules a doctor must follow come from the state where you receive care.
How a visit can unfold.
You discuss the memory concern, your health history and the medicines you already use. The health professional asks for more detail and explains the options.
Under medical-board guidance, if the assessment needs tests or an examination, the doctor must arrange them or refer you to another health professional.
Leave time to ask about the proposed plan and what happens next. Ask for the answers in writing if that would help.
Check where the visit takes place.
A telehealth doctor must hold a licence or have other permission to practise where the patient is.
A limited exception may apply; ask what permits the person to practise in the state you will be in for your visit.
The question to take away
How will this service assess my concern and arrange any examination or tests that the assessment needs?
Next word: licence