Although we all strive to do our best at work and show up every day, sometimes we do fall ill. This means that you might need to take some time off work to recover. It might be the right thing to do as well – if you have an infectious disease (e.g. COVID-19), you might inadvertently pass the disease to your co-workers if you come into close physical proximity.
Another reason that you might not be able to come to work is that you have a regular doctor’s appointment that you need to attend. Or you might be pregnant and need to be absent from work due to pregnancy-related reasons (such as prenatal check-ups or delivery).
In these cases, you will need a doctor’s note.
A doctor’s note is a note from your doctor stating that you have had a consultation with your doctor and that you need to be excused from work/school due to certain medical conditions.
A standard doctor’s note usually includes the following:
- The patient’s name
- The patient’s date of birth
- The date of evaluation
- How long the patient is excused from work/school
- When the patient can return to work/school
- Limitations of activity if applicable (such as heavy lifting)
- The doctor’s name and signature
It is important to know that you can receive a doctor’s note through telemedicine, as long as a licensed doctor has assessed you and signed the note.
However, there may be some conditions in which telemedicine may not be appropriate, such as when a doctor needs to assess you in-person. Certain physical examinations, such as listening to your heart using a stethoscope, can only be performed in-person. Examples of conditions that may require an in-person evaluation are complex health and disability evaluations, forensic evaluations, or listening for a heart murmur.
Another type of doctor’s note is a “return to work” note, or a health clearance note. These state that a patient is safe to go back to work and do not pose any significant risk to themselves or to others. Many employers ask for a “return to work” note in order for employees to return back to work after missing days due to an illness, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Did you know that QuickMD can provide you with an official doctor’s note by a licensed physician, all from the convenience of your own home?
We can also provide you with a “return to work” note online. It will have the QuickMD Urgent Care letterhead on it, as well as the physician’s signature and his or her license number. It will be sent to you as a PDF within minutes of the consultation. Upon request, it can also be faxed directly to an employer or a school.