Telehealth notes / check the setting

The screen changes the setting.

Care delivered through video, phone or online information exchanges is called telehealth. Ask how the visit will work and how to get an answer afterward.

Start this check

Words used in this note

Telehealth: Care when patient and clinician connect from different places.
Consent: Your agreement to the proposed way of receiving care.
Referral: A request for another clinician to assess or treat you.

Your location is part of the check

Give the service your location for the appointment; mention any travel that could change it.

Alabama telehealth law

Ask about Alabama authorization

As of October 1, 2026, a doctor treating a person in Alabama by telehealth generally needs a full, active Alabama medical licence.

An exception covers care on fewer than 10 days in a calendar year or involving fewer than 10 patients that year. The law also has an exception for care provided in consultation with an Alabama-licensed doctor.

Ask which exception the service relies on and how it fits your care. Your own doctor being mentioned does not explain how the service meets the exception.

Read the board’s telehealth summary

Give the city and state where you will be sitting.
Ask how the doctor is authorized to treat you there.
Check the licence record rather than relying on a badge.

An online first visit can start the relationship

An intake form can help you gather your history. Expect to discuss the problem behind the request.

As of October 1, 2026, Alabama law allows a doctor-patient relationship to begin by telehealth without an earlier in-person exam.

The patient must initiate that relationship or have a referral from their own established doctor.

Before online care, Alabama law says the doctor must do these checks “to the extent possible.” The doctor must confirm who you are and ask your city and state. They must tell you their name and qualifications. They must get your agreement to online care and record it. The quoted limit applies to all four checks.

Ask what happens if one of those checks cannot be completed.
Ask what happens if the clinician needs an exam or test.
Ask how to send a follow-up question.
Ask for a summary of the discussion.

Ask how an unresolved problem moves to in-person care

The follow-up route matters as much as the first appointment.

As of October 1, 2026, Alabama has an in-person follow-up rule after more than four telehealth visits within a year for the same unresolved condition.

The physician or practice must arrange an in-person visit or suitable referral within a reasonable time, no later than twelve months.

This repeated-visit rule does not apply to mental health care. A video visit counts as in-person care for this rule if someone licensed by Alabama’s medical or nursing board is there with you, helping in person.

Ask who arranges a local exam if needed.
Ask how records reach the clinician who sees you in person.

Make the visit easier to use

Keep your notes beside the screen or phone.

Write the main reason you are seeking care.
List medicines, supplements and past treatments.
Keep your questions somewhere easy to read.
Find a private place where you can speak freely.

Keep going

Plan the visit and follow-up