The Doctolib group, a French heavyweight in making medical appointments, at the center of a controversy because it references naturopaths with questionable practices, will strengthen verification procedures for professionals referenced on its site, at-announced Thursday.
Health professionals and patients have criticized the group for allowing its users to make appointments with naturopaths, some of whom have dangerous practices, bordering on quackery and sectarian aberrations.
Critics have particularly targeted naturopaths who claim to be Thierry Casasnovas and Irène Grosjean, two influential personalities in the field but with discredited positions in the world of health.
The Order of Physicians asked Doctolib on Tuesday to reinforce its ethical rules to register on the platform.
A dedicated team
Given the controversy, the group had already indicated on Monday to suspend 17 profiles of practitioners.
Among them, it states that no appointment may “from now on be made before the verification of the right to practice as a health professional is effective.”
It will also clarify “the content of the files of free practitioners, explicitly mentioning that they are not health professionals.”
For the practicing practitioners of non-regulated wellness activities, which represents 3% of the Doctolib practitioners and 0.3% of the rendez-vous pris (dont source partie les naturopaths), a team dedicated to verifying his identity and file of Presentation.
A first update of the site’s home page was made, explicitly mentioning that they are not health professionals, says Doctolib.
The site also announces the opening of a consultation with its Medical and Professional Committee, Miviludes (the interministerial mission to fight against sectarian aberrations), unions of health professionals, health orders, patient associations and health authorities “with in order to better regulate the referral of unregulated practitioners” on the platform.
This consultation “will lead to a new series of measures,” the site promises.
Source: BFM TV
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