The longer view
Ask what happens after the first visit.
An offer needs more than a first visit and a delivery. Ask who stays involved, what later care includes and how the plan can change.
Make the contact route clear
FDA flags online care when no doctor with a licence is available to answer questions after the medicine arrives.
- Who reads a message about a health concern?
- What is the contact route for the person responsible for my care?
- What reply time does the service commit to?
- What care is available when that person is away?
Plan later care and stopping
Request a plan you can describe back to the person treating you. Include changes in your health or your goals, rather than treating each visit as a refill task.
- What are we checking at later visits?
- How will we judge progress beyond a scale reading?
- What changes in my health do you want to hear about?
- Which visits are included in the quoted fee?
Discuss stopping before it becomes urgent
In the SURMOUNT-4 study, people switched from tirzepatide to a shot without the medicine regained weight. People who continued tirzepatide lost more weight.
A study cannot decide your care plan. Ask the person treating you how to think about stopping, cost changes or a wish to try another approach.
- What support is available if we decide to stop?
- What happens if I cannot keep paying?
- Can I keep copies of my records if I move to another service?
- Does leaving the care plan also cancel the membership?
Sources for this chapter
Use these sources to check the answers above. Bring any questions to the person treating you.