Q. Is it possible to get a non-face-to-face (telemedicine) prescription for diet herbal medicine in Wirye? I'm curious about how it works without an in-person visit.

Yes, it is possible. At our Baekrokdam Korean Medicine Clinic, we also prescribe diet herbal medicine through telemedicine. However, since the foundational diagnostic methods of Korean medicine—pulse diagnosis (脈診) and tongue diagnosis (舌診)—are omitted, we generally recommend an in-person visit for the initial consultation. I myself initially wondered, 'Can we properly assess a person's constitution this way?' The greatest advantage of telemedicine is that it is not constrained by time or place—especially beneficial for office workers who find it difficult to visit during commutes or on weekends. Additionally, the medicine is delivered to your home, reducing hassle. Regular online consultations also allow for continuous feedback on dietary adjustments and lifestyle habits, helping maintain consistency. There are clear drawbacks, however. In a non-face-to-face setting, subtle signals such as the patient's vocal tone, facial expressions, or breathing patterns may be missed. In Korean medicine, conditions like spleen deficiency (脾虛) or phlegm-fluid retention (痰飮) rely heavily on abdominal examination (腹診) and pulse diagnosis as key diagnostic clues, which are difficult to fully replicate remotely. Therefore, I try to compensate by obtaining as much detail as possible from the patient's previous medical history, photographs, and a thorough questionnaire. Ultimately, it depends on the individual case. For example, patients who have previously visited the clinic for a diagnosis or those with relatively clear constitutions or symptoms can achieve good results via telemedicine. Conversely, individuals with complex issues such as digestive problems or menstrual irregularities are safer having at least one in-person visit. Rather than asserting that telemedicine is universally 'good' or 'not possible,' I believe it is important to find the most suitable approach together based on the patient's specific condition.