Glossary
Telehealth glossary for founders and operators
Caracola Medical is a physician-led, white-label telehealth medical group. This telehealth glossary explains the clinical, licensing and compliance terms founders and operators run into when they launch or scale a care program. Founded by J. Chance Miller, MD and Stephanie Miller.
Last reviewed October 11, 2026 · Reviewed by J. Chance Miller, MD
- 503A vs 503B pharmacy
- Two categories of compounding pharmacy under federal law. A 503A pharmacy compounds medications for individual patients based on a prescription and is overseen mainly by state pharmacy boards. A 503B outsourcing facility registers with the FDA, may compound in larger batches, and must follow federal manufacturing quality standards. In both cases, compounded medications are not FDA-approved.
- Asynchronous telehealth
- Care delivered without a live, real-time conversation. The patient submits information, such as an intake form, photos or messages, and a clinician reviews it later and responds. Whether an asynchronous visit is allowed for a given service depends on state law and the clinical situation, and some states require a live visit first. See also synchronous telehealth.
- Business associate agreement (BAA)
- A contract required under HIPAA when a vendor or partner creates, receives, stores or transmits protected health information on behalf of a covered entity. It sets out how that information must be safeguarded, used and reported if something goes wrong. Which HIPAA agreements a relationship needs depends on who plays which role. Read more on our compliance approach.
- Clinical infrastructure
- The people, rules and workflows that make clinical care run: licensed clinicians, protocols, intake review, documentation standards, escalation paths and quality review. It sits underneath the brand and the technology. A telehealth company can have a polished app and still lack the clinical infrastructure to deliver safe, consistent care.
- Clinical protocol
- A written guide for how clinicians evaluate and manage a specific condition or service line. A good protocol covers eligibility, required history, red flags, treatment options, follow-up and when to escalate. Protocols support clinical judgment; they do not replace it, and they should reflect the rules of each state where care is delivered.
- Collaborating physician
- A physician who enters a collaborative agreement with a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, as some states require. The agreement may cover consultation, chart review and prescribing scope. Requirements differ widely by state, and some states require no collaboration at all. Learn about medical director and oversight services.
- Corporate practice of medicine
- A legal doctrine in many states that limits who can own a medical practice or employ physicians, generally to licensed physicians or physician-owned entities. Its purpose is to keep clinical decisions out of the hands of non-clinicians. How strictly it applies, and what structures are allowed, varies by state, so it is worth getting legal advice before launch.
- Credentialing
- The process of verifying a clinician's qualifications before they treat patients. It typically includes confirming licenses, education, training, work history and malpractice history, and repeating key checks on a schedule. Credentialing protects patients and the practice, and it is a common bottleneck when a program adds states.
- E-prescribing
- Sending a prescription electronically from the clinician's system directly to a pharmacy, rather than on paper or by fax. It reduces transcription errors and makes prescriptions easier to track. Some states require electronic prescribing for certain prescriptions, and the rules vary.
- Escalation pathway
- The defined route a case takes when it needs more than a routine visit: an urgent symptom, an abnormal result, a patient complaint or a possible adverse event. A clear pathway names who gets notified, how fast, and how it is documented. Without one, escalations end up split across email threads and nobody owns the outcome.
- Friendly PC
- An industry term for a professional corporation owned by a licensed physician that works with a separate business, often one owned by non-physicians, under contract. The arrangement is commonly used in states with corporate practice of medicine rules. Its legal treatment depends on state law and on how the contracts are written. See corporate practice of medicine.
- Good faith exam (GFE)
- An evaluation by a licensed clinician, required in some states and settings, before a patient receives certain treatments, often in med-spa and aesthetic care. It confirms the patient is an appropriate candidate and that the treatment is medically suitable. Who may perform it, and whether it can be done by telehealth, depends on state rules.
- Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC)
- An agreement among participating states that offers eligible physicians an expedited pathway to licensure in other member states. Physicians still hold a separate license in each state and must meet each state's requirements and fees. Some states do not participate, and eligibility criteria apply.
- LegitScript certification
- A third-party review program for healthcare and pharmacy-related businesses that some payment processors, advertising channels and marketplaces use as a screening step. The review generally looks at licensing, legal compliance and transparency. Whether a business needs it depends on the channels it uses, and requirements can change.
- Medical director
- A physician responsible for clinical oversight of a program or practice. Duties often include approving protocols, overseeing clinicians, reviewing quality and handling clinical escalations. The required scope depends on state law and the service lines involved. Learn more about our medical director services.
- Interstate medical licensing
- Holding active licenses in more than one state so a clinician can treat patients located in each of them. In telehealth, the patient's location at the time of the visit generally determines which license is needed. Each state has its own application, renewal cycle and continuing education rules.
- Professional corporation (PC)
- A corporation formed to provide professional services, such as medicine, that in most states must be owned by licensed professionals. Medical groups often operate as PCs to comply with state ownership rules. Some states use other entity types, such as a professional limited liability company, for the same purpose.
- Standard of care
- The level of care a reasonably prudent clinician would provide in similar circumstances. In many states, telehealth care is held to the same standard as in-person care. If a condition cannot be evaluated safely remotely, the standard of care may require an in-person referral.
- Store-and-forward
- A form of asynchronous telehealth in which health information, such as photos, images, forms or recorded data, is captured and sent for a clinician to review later. It is common in dermatology and in intake-based programs. Some states define and regulate it separately from live video visits.
- Supervising physician
- A physician who supervises other clinicians, often physician assistants, or oversees certain delegated procedures, as state law requires. Supervision may involve chart review, availability for consultation and written protocols. The required level of supervision varies by state, by clinician type and by setting.
- Synchronous telehealth
- Care delivered in real time, by video or in some cases by phone, with the patient and clinician interacting live. Some states require a synchronous visit to establish a patient relationship or before certain prescriptions. See also asynchronous telehealth.
- Telehealth informed consent
- The patient's agreement to receive care by telehealth after being told what that involves, including its limits and alternatives. Many states have specific consent requirements, which may cover how consent is obtained and documented. Consent language should be reviewed for each state where care is delivered.
- Telehealth provider network
- A group of licensed clinicians who deliver telehealth care on behalf of one or more programs. Networks differ in who they include, how they are organized and how much clinical oversight they provide. Our guide on how to choose a telehealth physician network covers what to compare.
- Turnaround time (consult SLA)
- The agreed time between when a patient submits a request and when a clinician completes the review or visit. It is often written into a service level agreement for a program. Realistic targets depend on visit type, service line, states and volume, and should be set before launch.
- White-label telehealth
- A model where a clinical partner provides licensed clinicians and clinical operations while patients interact only with the brand offering the program. The brand handles marketing and the patient experience; the clinical entity handles clinical care and independent medical decisions. Learn how our white-label telehealth model works.
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