Since decree n°2026-626 of July 8, 2026, teleconsultation companies are subject to enhanced scrutiny of their accreditation. For a patient seeking a healthcare professional online, this regulatory tightening changes the game: not all platforms are equal in legal terms, and compliance becomes a sorting filter even before comparing features.
Accreditation and regulatory compliance: the first filter for choosing an online health platform
The common reflex is to compare platforms based on their appointment wait times or the number of available specialties. This criterion remains useful, but it masks a more structural issue: only formally accredited companies can bill health insurance.
The decree of July 8, 2026, requires teleconsultation companies to submit an annual detailed activity report to the ministers and the National Council of the Order of Physicians. This report includes the monitoring of specific indicators: number of teleconsultations performed, share of teleconsultation compared to in-person visits, average duration of procedures.
The scope of sanctions has been expanded to include billing conditions and compliance with the HAS good practice guidelines. Consulting via an unaccredited platform exposes one to a refusal of reimbursement by health insurance, with no simple recourse.
Before creating an account on a platform, checking its accreditation status with the Ministry of Health remains the most reliable approach. Directories like professionals on Santé Info also help identify practitioners listed according to verifiable criteria.
Public directory or private platform: where to search for a healthcare professional online
Two main categories of resources coexist for finding a doctor or specialist online. Confusing them wastes time.
Institutional directories
The Sante.fr portal, managed by public authorities, lists healthcare professionals by geographical area and specialty. It integrates data from ARS and allows users to locate unscheduled care sites, vaccination pharmacies, or practices accessible to people with disabilities.
The advantage of a public directory lies in the reliability of the data: it comes from official databases (RPPS, ADELI). However, these directories do not offer direct appointment booking or teleconsultation.
Private appointment booking and teleconsultation platforms
Doctolib, Maiia, Qare, Livi, Hellocare, Medadom, and Medecindirect offer practitioner searches combined with online booking, even immediate video consultations. Each has its specific features:
- Some platforms focus on teleconsultation without an appointment with a general practitioner available quickly, sometimes in just a few minutes.
- Others prioritize a network of specialists (dermatologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians) with scheduled slots several days in advance.
- Some integrate the issuance of electronic prescriptions and direct sending to pharmacies, reducing the number of steps for the patient.
A public directory serves to verify that a practitioner exists and practices legally. A private platform, on the other hand, serves to consult that practitioner. Cross-referencing the two sources remains the safest method.
Concrete criteria for evaluating a healthcare professional found online
Once the platform is chosen, sorting between practitioners relies on elements rarely highlighted by traditional comparisons.
Verification of the RPPS number
Every doctor registered with the Order has an RPPS number (Shared Directory of Healthcare Professionals). This number is normally displayed on the practitioner’s profile on accredited platforms. The absence of a visible RPPS number on a profile should raise an alert. It is the only identifier that guarantees the professional is authorized to practice.
Medical follow-up indicators
The July 2026 decree encourages platforms to display activity indicators. Some are beginning to make public the post-consultation follow-up rate (referral to a colleague, prescription of additional tests) and the average duration of procedures. An abnormally short teleconsultation may indicate a rushed handling.
A doctor who systematically offers follow-up or referral at the end of a consultation respects the coordinated care pathway, which conditions appropriate reimbursement by health insurance.
Digital accessibility
The obligations related to RGAA (General Accessibility Improvement Reference) also apply to health websites. A platform compliant with RGAA ensures that people with visual or motor disabilities can navigate, make appointments, and consult. This criterion, often overlooked in comparisons, concerns a significant portion of the population.
Teleconsultation or in-office consultation: what platforms do not always specify
Searching for a healthcare professional online does not necessarily lead to a teleconsultation. Many patients use Doctolib or Maiia solely to book an in-office slot, without a video consultation.
Field feedback varies on this point: teleconsultation is well-suited for prescription renewals and initial opinions, but certain reasons (clinical examination, auscultation, palpation) require in-person visits. No platform can replace a physical examination when it is medically necessary.
The coordinated care pathway remains a determining factor for reimbursement. Consulting a specialist via teleconsultation without going through one’s primary care physician (except for regulatory exceptions) may result in a higher out-of-pocket expense. Platforms do not always display this information visibly at the time of appointment booking.
- For a prescription renewal or a quick opinion, teleconsultation with a general practitioner remains the fastest channel.
- For a first appointment with a specialist, check that the platform specifies whether the procedure is part of the coordinated care pathway.
- For a perceived emergency, platforms do not replace 15 (SAMU) or hospital emergency services.
The proliferation of online care platforms simplifies the search for practitioners, but it does not eliminate the need for a minimum of verification. Platform accreditation status, practitioner RPPS number, compliance with the coordinated care pathway: these three points are sufficient to eliminate most unpleasant surprises.
