Follow-up visits
Short visits, one question at a time
For people who have had a first evaluation and want to keep talking with a prescriber.
- 01
Step 1: How things have been
You say what has changed since last time, good or hard. Ghada listens before she asks.
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Step 2: The same few questions
She asks the same short set each time, including the PHQ-9, so you can both see how things are moving over weeks.
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Step 3: One decision
Together you decide whether anything about your medicine or your plan should change, and what the next step is.
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Step 4: The next visit
Before you leave you know when you will meet next. Many people come every few weeks at first, then less often.
What these visits are, and are not
They are not therapy
A follow-up is 25 minutes, sometimes 45. It is enough to check in and decide, not to work through a hard year.
They are not for emergencies
If you are in crisis, call or text 988. In an emergency, call 911.
How they are paid
You pay at the end of each visit. The fee follows the length of the visit and is written down before you start, and a monthly receipt is yours to send to your plan.
How fees work
Questions
Three questions about follow-ups
How often will I come, and how long is a visit?
After the first visit, follow-ups are 25 minutes, sometimes 45. Your nurse practitioner sets the pace with you, and many people come every few weeks at first, then less often.
Will I need lab work?
Sometimes. Whether you need labs depends on your history and the medicine we are discussing, and Ghada explains why before she asks for any. The lab bills you for the tests, not Mend.
What does your prescribing policy say about controlled medication?
Mend does not prescribe controlled medications to anyone, however you meet, and no medicine is prescribed before an evaluation. Our prescribing policy explains what we do and do not prescribe, and why.
Already a patient?
Write to us, or call during office hours. We reply within one business day.