Contact Us

Are you confident your current process would hold up during an audit or complaint?

GoodFaithExams.com provides state-compliant Good Faith Exams through secure telemedicine, built for regulated medical practices that want to operate confidently, ethically, and at scale.

How Good Faith Exams Work (Step-by-Step Guide for Modern Practices)

Pricing should be easy to understand. It should also support compliance, not complicate it.

While “Good Faith Exam” is common industry terminology, state medical boards typically don’t use this phrase. What regulators recognize, and enforce, is the establishment of a valid patient-provider relationship (PPR) supported by documented evaluation that meets the standard of care.

At GoodFaithExams.com, the process is built to be clear and practical. This guide explains how good faith exams work so your practice can operate with clarity and confidence. It supports modern clinics without adding friction. 

Across med spas and telehealth programs, the goal remains the same. Every patient must be evaluated properly.

What Is a Good Faith Exam and Why It Matters

A Good Faith Exam is not a form, a checkbox, or an automatic approval. It is a documented medical evaluation that reflects independent clinical judgment and establishes a valid patient-provider relationship.

Understanding how good faith exams work is essential for any regulated medical practice because it helps you:

  • Maintain compliance with state specific medical regulations and expectations
  • Ensure every patient is properly evaluated by a licensed provider
  • Support independent clinical decision making before treatment begins
  • Reduce risk during audits, complaints, or legal reviews
  • Protect both your patients and your practice from unsafe or inappropriate care
Our telemedicine good faith exam process follows a structured workflow aligned with regulatory expectations while remaining efficient for both patients and practices.

The Good Faith Exam Process Explained

1

Patient Intake

The process begins with structured patient intake where patients provide:
  • Medical history (past conditions, surgeries, hospitalizations)
  • Current medications (prescription, over-the-counter, supplements)
  • Allergies and contraindications
  • The specific service being requested
  • Lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol use, previous aesthetic treatments)


Accurate intake is a critical foundation for patient safety and responsible clinical decision-making. This information ensures the evaluating provider has appropriate background before conducting the exam.

2

Independent Medical Evaluation

Once intake is completed, the patient connects with a licensed medical provider through secure, HIPAA-compliant telemedicine using synchronous video.

During the Good Faith Exam, the provider:

  • Reviews the patient’s complete medical history
  • Evaluates relevant risk factors and contraindications
  • Asks clinically appropriate follow-up questions
  • Visually assesses treatment areas when applicable
  • Determines whether the patient is an appropriate candidate for the requested service


Critical compliance point: The evaluation is conducted independently. Providers are not influenced by business operations, treatment volume, or approval expectations. They exercise genuine medical judgment based on the patient’s clinical presentation.

3

Clinical Decision-Making

Based on the evaluation, the provider exercises independent medical judgment and may:
  • Approve the requested service with documented rationale
  • Recommend modifications to treatment plan
  • Defer treatment pending additional information
  • Decline treatment if it is not medically appropriate


A Good Faith Exam does not guarantee approval. Its purpose is to document a legitimate medical decision, not to authorize care automatically. This protects both patients and practices by ensuring treatments are medically justified.

4

Complete Clinical Documentation

Each Good Faith Exam includes comprehensive written documentation following the SOAP note format (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) that reflects the provider’s clinical reasoning:

Documentation includes:

  • Subjective: Patient history, medications, allergies, reason for visit
  • Objective: Physical exam findings, vital signs (when applicable), visual assessment
  • Assessment: Clinical decision-making supporting whether the patient is a suitable candidate
  • Plan: Treatment authorization or recommendations, risks/benefits discussed, patient education
  • Consent: Signed patient consent for treatment
  • Provider credentials: Full signature and credentials (MD/DO, NP, or PA)


Clear, thorough documentation is a cornerstone of compliance. It demonstrates the exam was performed thoughtfully and independently, essential during audits, complaints, board investigations, or legal reviews.

5

Exam Frequency and Updates

Good Faith Exams should be updated or repeated:
  • At least annually for ongoing patients (most common standard)
  • When treatment type changes (e.g., patient approved for Botox now wants fillers)
  • If the patient’s health status changes significantly (new medical conditions, medications)
  • As required by state-specific regulations (some states have shorter renewal cycles)
6

State-Aware Recordkeeping

Good Faith Exam records are maintained in alignment with applicable telemedicine and recordkeeping requirements.

Because expectations vary by state, provider involvement and documentation standards are structured to support state-specific considerations. This helps practices maintain consistency as they grow or operate across multiple jurisdictions.

Most state boards require records retained for 5-7 years with secure storage, instant retrieval capability, and HIPAA-compliant data management.

Who Performs a Good Faith Exam?

Good Faith Exams are performed by licensed medical providers acting within their authorized scope of practice. This may include physicians, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants, depending on the patient’s location, state regulations, and the type of service being evaluated.
Assignments are made with these factors in mind to support proper medical oversight. The clinical decision must come from a qualified provider.

How Long Does an Online Good Faith Exam Take?

Most Good Faith Exams are completed efficiently, but the exact timing depends on the patient’s history and the service being evaluated. Providers take the time needed to ensure each decision is clinically appropriate. 
Many practices are able to begin using an online GFE platform the same day. The goal is to balance speed with clinical integrity.

What Happen After the Good Faith Exam?

After the exam is completed, the provider’s decision is documented and stored. If care is approved, the patient may move forward with treatment. If care is modified or declined, that decision is documented with the provider’s reasoning.
This protects both the patient and the practice by showing that proper medical judgment was applied.

Why Understanding How Good Faith Exams Work Is Critical

Good Faith Exams are often reviewed after an issue arises, including complaints, audits, insurance reviews, or legal proceedings. In those situations, reviewers often focus on whether an exam occurred, who performed it, how the decision was documented, and whether the provider acted independently.
Federal telehealth guidance also highlights the importance of proper patient evaluation and documentation, noting that failure to meet these standards can expose providers to legal and professional risk
A clear process helps demonstrate that compliance was taken seriously from the start. That is why understanding how good faith exams work matters for both patient safety and business protection.

How Good Faith Exams Work in a Telemedicine Setting

The telemedicine good faith exam process allows providers to evaluate patients remotely through secure and compliant technology. An online GFE follows the same clinical standards as any other compliant evaluation.
The format may be digital, but the responsibility stays the same. Providers must review the patient’s history, apply medical judgment, and document the outcome clearly. This makes an online GFE a practical option for modern practices that need both efficiency and compliance.
Our process is built for the realities of modern healthcare delivery. It supports med spas, nurse injector practices, medical weight loss programs, telehealth based care models, and growing multi-location operations.
The workflow integrates into existing operations without slowing down patient flow or creating unnecessary administrative burden.

Designed for Real-World Medical Practices

Does a Good Faith Exam Replace a Medical Director?

No. A Good Faith Exam is one part of a broader compliance framework. Practices must still meet all applicable supervision, oversight, and medical director requirements based on their state and service model.
A compliant exam supports that framework, but it does not replace it.

Start With a Process You Can Defend

A Good Faith Exam should do more than satisfy a requirement. It should protect your patients, your providers, and your business.
At GoodFaithExams.com, our telehealth Good Faith Exam process is designed to be clear, compliant, and defensible without unnecessary complexity. If your practice needs a reliable online GFE solution, now is the time to put a structured process in place.
A Good Faith Exam should do more than satisfy a requirement. It should protect your patients, your providers, and your business.
  • $27.99 per exam
  • Same-day start
  • No contracts
  • Audit-ready documentation

Frequently Asked Questions

A Good Faith Exam is a medical evaluation performed by a licensed provider. It determines whether a patient is appropriate for a requested service based on clinical judgment and relevant health information. Understanding how good faith exams work helps ensure each evaluation meets proper medical and compliance standards.
Yes. Our telemedicine good faith exam process is designed to conduct exams securely and efficiently through a compliant virtual platform.
No. Providers may approve, modify, defer, or decline care based on their evaluation and medical judgment.
Most practices can begin using an online GFE platform the same day. The setup process is simple and does not require long onboarding or contracts.
Yes. The system is designed to support both single location clinics and multi-location or multi-state operations.
Records are stored in line with telemedicine and state specific requirements. Proper documentation supports compliance and helps during audits or reviews.
It is designed for regulated medical practices such as med spas, weight loss clinics, telehealth providers, and nurse injector operations that need a consistent and compliant process.
Requirements vary by state and by service type. Many states require or strongly expect this type of evaluation before certain medical or aesthetic treatments. Knowing how good faith exams work can help practices stay aligned with these expectations.
Licensed medical providers perform the exam. Assignments depend on state regulations, the patient’s location, and the type of service being evaluated.
Most exams are completed efficiently. Timing depends on the patient’s history and the complexity of the requested service.
Each exam costs $27.99. There are no contracts, subscriptions, or minimum volume requirements.
The provider’s decision is documented as part of the exam record. This helps protect both the patient and the practice by showing that proper medical judgment was used. This is a key part of how good faith exams work in real-world settings.
No. A Good Faith Exam supports compliance, but it does not replace medical director oversight or other regulatory obligations.
You can create an account online and begin scheduling exams right away. There are no commitments required to start using the platform. If you are still learning how good faith exams work within your practice, getting started is simple.