Q. What is the basis for being able to prescribe non-face-to-face diet herbal medicine anywhere in the country?

The basis for non-face-to-face treatment is twofold. First, legal conditions for Korean medicine doctors to practice telemedicine have become clearer. Initially permitted temporarily after COVID-19 in 2020, it is now largely recognized for follow-up patients with chronic conditions. Diet management, being a chronic care area heavily reliant on lifestyle correction, falls under this category. Second, the TKM pattern differentiation system (辨證, biànzhèng) operates quite precisely even when centered on consultation. For example, patients with spleen deficiency (脾虛, píxū) often have poor digestion, bloating, and loose stools, while those with phlegm-fluid retention (痰飲, tányǐn) complain of chest tightness, phlegm in the throat, and a heavy body. These patterns can be adequately conveyed through speech, providing meaningful prescription grounds via non-face-to-face consultation. However, since subtle information such as tongue coating or pulse tension is missed during an in-person visit, I strongly recommend an initial visit. In practice, I often ask during the first consultation, 'It is possible non-face-to-face, but could you visit just once for a more accurate diagnosis?' This is safer for the patient. The advantage of non-face-to-face is freedom from time and place constraints; the disadvantage is slightly reduced diagnostic completeness. I share this honestly and guide patients to make their own choice.