Q. Can I receive a non-face-to-face diet herbal medicine prescription in Incheon? I'm curious about the process.

Non-face-to-face diet herbal medicine prescriptions are more systematic than you might expect. Initially, I wondered if it would be effective without pulse taking, but in practice, major causes like spleen deficiency (脾虛), phlegm-fluid (痰飮), and blood stasis (瘀血) can be largely identified through consultation, photos, and video. Here is a step-by-step explanation of the process: 1. **Online consultation application** — Register through the hospital website or by phone. Briefly provide your height, weight, usual eating habits, digestive status, and past diet history. 2. **Non-face-to-face consultation (video call)** — Lasts about 15–20 minutes. The Korean medicine doctor asks about tongue condition (舌診), abdomen shape and tenderness (腹診), bowel movements, and sleep patterns. Questions like 'Do you often feel dizzy or have cold hands and feet?' help assess qi and blood circulation. 3. **Korean medicine diagnosis** — Based on collected information, the doctor determines spleen deficiency (metabolic decline due to weakened spleen function), phlegm-fluid (excess dampness and waste), or blood stasis (poor blood circulation). You will be told, for example, 'Spleen deficiency is suspected.' 4. **Customized herbal prescription** — Herbs are combined according to individual constitution and underlying causes. For spleen deficiency, tonifying spleen (補脾) herbs are added; for abundant phlegm-fluid, dispelling phlegm (祛痰) herbs are emphasized. The prescription is prepared within insurance coverage limits. 5. **Preparation and mailing** — The pharmacy prepares the herbal medicine and sends it via courier, typically taking 1–2 days. Instructions (e.g., 'store in refrigerator', 'take 30 minutes after meals') are included. 6. **Follow-up after taking** — After about two weeks, the doctor checks in via text or phone to assess digestion, weight changes, and side effects. A follow-up consultation may adjust the prescription as needed. If you are new to telemedicine, you might wonder, 'Is this a proper consultation?' However, Korean medicine has a long tradition of detailed history-taking, and protocols are in place to ensure key clues are not missed even remotely. That said, if you have serious underlying conditions or acute symptoms, an in-person visit is recommended. Regardless of the method, remember that it is a process of ongoing dialogue with your body.