A. To receive a non-face-to-face diet herbal medicine prescription, you need to: 1) book an appointment via the clinic's website or phone to secure a consultation slot; 2) prepare your ID card and health insurance card for identity verification; 3) complete a detailed medical questionnaire covering recent health, diet, past diet attempts, and current medications; 4) provide photos: tongue (in natural light), face (front and side), and abdomen if required; 5) record basic measurements like blood pressure and weight at home if possible; 6) agree to pick up the herbal medicine at a pharmacy or receive it by delivery. Each item is essential for an accurate diagnosis, so please prepare in advance.
📝 Detailed Answer
You might wonder, 'How can a Korean medicine doctor assess my condition remotely?' I had the same concern at first. However, the non-face-to-face process is actually designed to be even more thorough. Let me walk through the checklist step by step.
✓ **Appointment**: Book via website or phone, and allocate at least 30 minutes for the consultation so we can listen carefully to your story.
✓ **Identity Verification**: This is mandatory under medical law. Taking photos of your ID and health insurance card in advance makes it easier.
✓ **Medical Questionnaire**: This is the core. Detail your eating habits (binge eating, late-night snacks, sweet cravings), digestive issues (bloating, constipation/diarrhea), sleep, stress, past diet failures, and any current medications (e.g., Wegovy, Saxenda). This information helps us establish a Traditional Korean Medicine pattern diagnosis such as Spleen deficiency (脾虛, pí xū — weakened spleen function leading to poor digestion and energy metabolism), Phlegm-fluid (痰飮, tán yǐn — accumulation of unnecessary dampness and waste), or Blood stasis (瘀血, yū xuè — poor blood circulation).
✓ **Photo Materials**: Tongue photos must be taken in natural light to show true color; we examine shape (teeth marks, cracks) and coating (thickness, color) to assess Spleen deficiency or Damp-Heat (濕熱, shī rè). Face photos (front and side) reveal puffiness, skin tone, and under-eye color to evaluate Qi and Blood (氣血, qì xuè) status. Abdominal photos can substitute for abdominal examination (腹診, fù zhěn) when needed.
✓ **Basic Measurements**: If you have a scale and blood pressure monitor, measure in the morning on an empty stomach. Otherwise, you can use a nearby public health center or pharmacy.
✓ **Medicine Receipt**: Once the prescription is set, you can pick up the herbal medicine at a pharmacy or have it delivered. Delivery packaging is secure, so you can rest assured.
Through this entire process, we can approach your case more meticulously than an in-person visit. You may wonder if diagnosis through photos alone is accurate, but we combine the questionnaire, photos, and your detailed symptom descriptions to determine the pattern. It’s not 100% perfect, but the system has been refined over years of trial and error. If you're new to this, feel free to contact us first by phone or message just to ask, 'Is non-face-to-face possible for my situation?' — that will help you prepare better.
