When people think of telemedicine, most imagine a video call: you book a time slot, turn on your webcam, and talk to a doctor through a screen. It's a common model, but it's not the only one, and for many needs it isn't even the most practical.
There is a different model, recognized by the Italian Ministry of Health's 2022 Telemedicine Guidelines: asynchronous telemedicine, meaning written consultation. The patient describes their situation in writing, the doctor reads it carefully, reviews any attached documents, and responds with a written, signed document. Neither party needs to be online at the same time.
Why writing works better than talking
Writing a medical request forces precision: when you describe a symptom in writing, its duration, what makes it worse or better, you end up providing more organized information than often happens in a quick phone conversation. The doctor, on the other end, can carefully re-read the request and review attached reports calmly, instead of having to evaluate everything in real time during a ten-minute call.
There's also a practical advantage: you don't need to book a specific time slot. Write whenever you have time, even at eleven at night or during your lunch break, and the doctor responds within the agreed timeframe, typically 24 hours.
What you actually receive
The result of a written consultation isn't a verbal reassurance that fades the moment you hang up the phone. It's an actual document: a digitally signed PDF that you can save, print, take to the pharmacy if it contains a prescription, or show to another specialist if it's a clinical opinion.
The limits, stated clearly
Asynchronous telemedicine isn't suitable for everything. If you have acute chest pain, difficulty breathing, or a trauma, the right response isn't to write and wait 24 hours: it's calling emergency services or going to the nearest Emergency Room. Written consultation works well for non-urgent requests: renewing an already-diagnosed treatment, interpreting a report, a second opinion, a certificate, or a prescription for a known, stable condition.
It also doesn't replace the first diagnosis of complex conditions, which require a direct physical examination. It's an additional tool, not a total substitute for in-person medicine.
How it works on Medico Subito
With the annual subscription of €150, you can write up to three requests per month for twelve months. A licensed doctor reads your request and responds within 24 hours, seven days a week, including holidays.