Q. I live in Goyang City. Is it possible to have a remote diet consultation at a Korean medicine clinic?

Whether remote consultation is possible depends on your condition and treatment stage. There are two main scenarios. **First, for first-time patients:** In principle, an in-person visit is required. Korean medicine diet therapy does not simply suppress appetite; it focuses on identifying root causes such as Spleen deficiency (脾虚, weakened digestive function) or Phlegm-fluid retention (痰飮, excess moisture and waste) based on your constitution and current state. Pulse diagnosis (脉诊), tongue diagnosis (舌诊), and abdominal examination (腹诊) are essential to accurately assess the condition of your internal organs (脏腑). I recall one case where I tried to prescribe remotely, but the patient later complained of abdominal bloating—upon visiting, I found that their liver function had significantly weakened, which I would have missed without an in-person exam. **Second, for existing patients with a prior visit record:** Remote follow-up and re-prescription are possible. For example, after taking herbal medicine for two weeks, you might say, 'I feel lighter, but now I have constipation.' In such cases, we can fine-tune the prescription via remote consultation. However, if sudden swelling, severe dizziness, or changes in your menstrual cycle occur, you must come in for an in-person evaluation. The process is as follows: First, book an appointment via our app or phone. We will send you a pre-consultation questionnaire to fill out in detail regarding your diet, lifestyle, past diet attempts, and current medications. For first-time patients, after an in-person consultation including pulse diagnosis, a prescription is issued. Subsequent remote follow-ups typically occur every 2–4 weeks, using phone or video calls to assess symptoms, and occasionally requesting photos (e.g., tongue or abdomen). While medical law does not allow all situations to be handled remotely, we try to maximize convenience for patients who live far away, such as in Goyang. Please feel free to contact us by phone or chat if you have any questions.