Do Concierge Physicians Offer Telemedicine Appointments?

Yes. Many concierge physicians offer telemedicine appointments, and virtual care has become an important part of how concierge medicine can provide easier and more convenient access to a physician.

Depending on the practice, telemedicine may be used for new medical concerns, follow-up appointments, laboratory review, medication management, chronic condition monitoring, preventive health planning, and ongoing communication.

However, telemedicine does not eliminate the need for in-person medical care. Some symptoms, examinations, procedures, and emergencies require hands-on evaluation.

At Ask Dr. Hu, eligible concierge members throughout Arizona can schedule virtual appointments as often as medically appropriate, with in-person evaluation recommended when the clinical situation requires it.

What Is a Telemedicine Appointment?

A telemedicine appointment is a medical visit performed remotely using secure telecommunications technology rather than requiring the patient and physician to be physically present in the same room.

Most commonly, this means meeting with your physician through a secure video platform using a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

A virtual appointment can still involve many of the same components as an office visit. Your physician can discuss symptoms, review your medical history, evaluate previous medical records, review medications, interpret laboratory results, discuss treatment options, provide health counseling, order medically appropriate testing, and develop a follow-up plan.

Telemedicine is therefore not simply a phone call or quick message. When appropriately used, it can function as a full medical encounter.

If you are new to membership-based healthcare, our complete guide to concierge medicine explains how this type of physician-patient relationship works more broadly.

Why Does Telemedicine Work Well With Concierge Medicine?

Concierge medicine is built around accessibility, continuity, and a closer relationship between a patient and physician.

Virtual appointments can complement those goals particularly well.

Instead of requiring every question or follow-up to become an office visit, patients may be able to reconnect with their physician from home, work, or another private location.

This can be particularly helpful when a physician already knows the patient's medical history. Rather than starting over with a new clinician each time a concern arises, the physician can place new symptoms, laboratory findings, medication changes, and treatment decisions into the context of an established relationship.

This continuity is one of the ways concierge medicine differs from traditional primary care.

What Can a Concierge Physician Treat Through Telemedicine?

A surprisingly broad range of healthcare can potentially be handled through a virtual appointment.

Telemedicine may be appropriate for discussing new symptoms, reviewing laboratory or imaging results, monitoring chronic conditions, adjusting medications, discussing side effects, reviewing blood pressure or glucose readings, addressing certain minor acute illnesses, discussing nutrition and lifestyle concerns, creating preventive health plans, coordinating specialist care, and following up after previous treatment.

Whether a virtual visit is appropriate ultimately depends on the medical concern and the physician's clinical judgment.

For example, a detailed conversation about cholesterol results may work extremely well virtually. A patient with a new injury requiring palpation, joint testing, or a procedure may benefit much more from an in-person examination.

The goal is not to force every medical problem into telemedicine. It is to use virtual care when it allows the physician to evaluate and manage the issue safely and effectively.

Can a Physician Perform an Examination Through Telemedicine?

Parts of a medical examination can sometimes be performed virtually.

A physician may be able to observe a patient's general appearance, breathing, speech, skin findings, movement, gait, range of motion, neurological function, or other visible findings. Patients may also be asked to check information such as temperature, blood pressure, pulse, weight, or blood glucose when appropriate equipment is available.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognizes that a variety of physical assessments can be adapted to telehealth, while also emphasizing appropriate clinical technique and documentation.

However, there are obvious limitations.

A physician cannot directly palpate the abdomen, listen to the heart and lungs with a traditional stethoscope, examine the inside of an ear in the usual way, perform many neurological maneuvers, draw blood, administer an injection, or perform a hands-on procedure through a computer screen.

When those findings are important to making a safe medical decision, an in-person examination should be arranged.

When Is an In-Person Appointment Better?

Telemedicine is a tool, not a replacement for every form of medical care.

Your physician may recommend an in-person evaluation when a hands-on examination is important, when vital signs or diagnostic testing cannot be obtained remotely, when a procedure is required, or when the diagnosis remains uncertain after the virtual assessment.

At Ask Dr. Hu, select in-person examinations, procedures, and medical services are available when appropriate. The practice's current model intentionally combines statewide virtual access with in-person care when the medical situation calls for it.

This hybrid approach allows many routine and follow-up needs to remain convenient without overlooking the value of traditional physical examination.

Can Telemedicine Be Used for Urgent Medical Concerns?

Sometimes—but telemedicine is not emergency medical care.

A concierge physician may be able to provide guidance about certain non-emergency symptoms and help determine the appropriate next step. Depending on the concern, that could mean home care, a prescription, laboratory testing, an in-person appointment, urgent care, or evaluation by another healthcare professional.

Potentially life-threatening symptoms require immediate emergency evaluation rather than waiting for a virtual concierge appointment.

Concierge medicine should never be viewed as a substitute for 911, an emergency department, or other appropriate emergency services.

Can I Use Concierge Telemedicine While Traveling?

This depends on where you are physically located during the appointment.

Telemedicine is regulated through state healthcare and professional licensing laws. A physician's ability to treat a patient remotely may therefore depend on the state where the patient is located at the time medical care is provided.

Arizona, for example, has specific laws governing telehealth services and healthcare professionals providing telehealth to patients located within the state.

At Ask Dr. Hu, virtual medical care is available to eligible patients located throughout Arizona.

If you plan to travel outside Arizona and expect to need medical care while away, discuss this with your physician beforehand so you understand what can and cannot be provided remotely.

Are Telemedicine Visits Included in Concierge Medicine Membership?

That depends entirely on the individual concierge practice.

There is no universal concierge medicine membership. Each practice determines what its membership fee includes, how often patients may schedule appointments, whether telemedicine visits have additional charges, and what types of communication are available between visits.

This is something patients should clarify before joining any concierge practice.

At Ask Dr. Hu, the Concierge Medicine Membership currently includes unlimited medically appropriate virtual visits for concerns such as new symptoms, follow-up care, laboratory review, medication management, and ongoing health planning. Members also have access to direct physician communication by text, email, or phone for appropriate questions and follow-up needs.

Does Telemedicine Make Concierge Medicine Less Personal?

It does not have to.

The quality of a physician-patient relationship depends much more on communication, continuity, listening, follow-up, and trust than on whether every conversation happens in the same room.

In fact, virtual care can sometimes increase continuity because it removes many of the practical barriers that make patients postpone routine follow-up.

A patient who has a question about a medication, abnormal laboratory result, changing symptom, or treatment plan may be able to address the issue sooner rather than waiting weeks for the next traditional office appointment.

When telemedicine is combined with longer appointments, direct communication, appropriate in-person examinations, and an ongoing relationship with the same physician, it can support rather than diminish personalized care.

How Does Telemedicine Work at Ask Dr. Hu?

Ask Dr. Hu provides concierge medicine and individualized medical care through a virtual-first model for eligible patients throughout Arizona.

Patients can meet with an Arizona-licensed physician through secure telemedicine for many routine medical needs, follow-up appointments, laboratory discussions, medication management, preventive care, and ongoing health planning.

When a medical concern cannot be appropriately evaluated remotely, an in-person examination, diagnostic study, specialist consultation, urgent care evaluation, or other appropriate form of care may be recommended.

Our goal is not to make every medical visit virtual. It is to use virtual care where it improves accessibility and convenience while still recognizing when hands-on medical care is necessary.

You can learn more about our physicians and approach on the About Ask Dr. Hu page.

Is Virtual Concierge Medicine Right for Me?

Telemedicine-based concierge care may be particularly appealing if you value convenient physician access, want to avoid unnecessary travel for routine follow-up, have a busy work or family schedule, live farther from your physician's office, or prefer having an ongoing relationship with a doctor who already understands your medical history.

However, the right model depends on your individual healthcare needs.

Patients who frequently require procedures, hands-on examinations, vaccinations, advanced diagnostic testing, or other office-based services may still need substantial in-person care even if they also use telemedicine.

For many patients, the most practical solution is not choosing between virtual medicine and traditional medicine. It is having access to both and using each when it is medically appropriate.

Learn More About Virtual Concierge Medicine in Arizona

Telemedicine can make concierge medicine more accessible by allowing many appointments and follow-up discussions to take place without requiring a trip to a medical office.

At Ask Dr. Hu, eligible patients throughout Arizona can receive personalized virtual medical care while maintaining access to in-person evaluation when appropriate.

Explore our Concierge Medicine Membership, browse additional physician-written health resources, or contact Ask Dr. Hu to ask whether virtual concierge medicine may be a good fit for your healthcare needs.

Medical Accuracy & Editorial Standards

This article was written and medically reviewed by YiQiu Hu, NMD, an Arizona-licensed naturopathic physician whose clinical work includes concierge medicine, preventive healthcare, laboratory interpretation, medication management, health optimization, and individualized treatment planning.

Information regarding telehealth was reviewed against current guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Telehealth program and applicable Arizona telehealth regulations.

Medical information on this website is intended for general patient education and should not replace individualized medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment.

About the Author

YiQiu Hu, NMD is an Arizona-licensed naturopathic physician, founder of Ask Dr. Hu, and Medical Director with experience in concierge medicine, preventive healthcare, diagnostic evaluation, laboratory testing, and individualized medical care.

Dr. Hu created Ask Dr. Hu to provide patients with a more accessible and relationship-centered approach to healthcare, combining thoughtful medical evaluation with evidence-informed conventional, naturopathic, preventive, and integrative treatment options.

Learn more about Dr. YiQiu Hu and the physicians at Ask Dr. Hu.