What to Expect With Your Virtual Dietitian Visit
You’ve been considering scheduling an appointment with a dietitian for weeks — or maybe months.
Perhaps it was the fear of judgment, skepticism of the benefits, concerns over costs, or another reason.
But, whatever the reason, you finally decided it was time and scheduled your first virtual dietitian visit.
Doing so excited you but at the same time evoked anxiety about what you can expect or what you should do to prepare for your visit.
To put your mind at ease, this article explains what you can expect and how to best prepare for your first virtual visit with a TeleNourish dietitian.
Your first virtual dietitian visit
Here’s what to expect before, during, and after your first virtual dietitian visit.
Before your appointment
Upon scheduling your appointment, you will receive an email instructing you set up an account on our telehealth software and to complete several intake forms.
Completing these forms prior to your meeting helps the dietitian learn a little bit about you and optimizes time during the meeting.
Doing so also allows us to contact your health insurance — if you are insured — ahead of the meeting to determine your eligibility and benefits for nutrition counseling as well as confirm other information like copays and deductibles.
However, we recommend contacting them as well so there are no billing surprises.
Here are some questions to ask your insurance provider:
- Is a referral required?
- Is my diagnosis of (condition or disease) covered?
- How many visits are covered over what period of time?
- Will there be a co-pay or deductible?
- Is telehealth covered?
You can complete the necessary forms on your desktop or on your mobile device by downloading the app.
After completing all the necessary intake forms, now it’s time to think about what you want most from the appointment and write down your questions so you can get the most out of your time.
Your initial appointment is scheduled for 60 minutes, but not everyone needs the full hour.
During your appointment
When it’s time for your scheduled meeting, log into your account here or go to the app and click “Join” to start your meeting.
The meeting uses video but you can choose to have the meeting by voice only.
Upon joining your meeting, your dietitian will introduce themself — and with your help — develop a direction for conversation based on the condition or goal for which you’re seeking nutrition counseling.
Based on the highest quality and newest nutrition research available, your dietitian will provide evidence-based recommendations and formulate a plan based on changes you feel confident in making while considering any potential barriers.
By the end of your appointment, you should have a clear plan of action to take the necessary steps toward better health.
Your dietitian will recommend that you schedule a follow-up appointment — scheduled for 30 minutes — for continued progress and monitoring.
The decision to follow up is your choice, but we strongly recommend it as it’s rare that significant progress and sustained results are made with just one visit.
After your appointment
In the moments after your appointment, expect to receive an individualized care plan outlining the most important takeaways or goals that you established.
Your dietitian may also upload helpful resources or educational materials to enhance or supplement what you discussed.
If you need to message your dietitian for any reason, simply log in to your account and navigate to the “Chat” button.
Summary
Knowing how to prepare and what to expect before and after your first virtual dietitian meeting allows you to get the most out of it.
How to schedule your first dietitian appointment
Scheduling your first dietitian appointment is a quick and simple process.
To get started, schedule your appointment here.
Here you can choose the dietitian you want to work with and explain the condition, disease, or goal for which you are seeking nutrition counseling.
Within one hour of submitting your request, we will call you and schedule you.
After we get you scheduled, you will receive an email instructing you set up an account on our telehealth software and to complete several intake forms.
If you’re going through insurance, don’t forget to verify your eligibility and coverage with your insurance provider.
And that’s it — you’re all set for your first appointment.
Summary
Scheduling your first appointment with TeleNourish is a quick and easy process.
The bottom line
It’s completely normal to feel anxious or nervous about your first virtual dietitian visit.
Fortunately, you can put these feelings at ease if you know how to best prepare or what you can expect.
When you’re ready, scheduling your first virtual dietitian visit with TeleNourish is a quick and easy process.
