The Eden Telemed telehealth platform, several shortcomings of which were exposed in an investigation by The Pressis in the crosshairs of the College of Physicians of Quebec (CMQ) and the Order of Nurses of Quebec (OIIQ).
Published at 5:00 a.m.
What you need to know
- Concerns surrounding Eden Telemed, a popular telemedicine platform, were the subject of a coroner’s report and an inquest The Press.
- A “joint action” will be carried out by the College of Physicians and the Order of Nurses of Quebec to examine virtual clinic practices.
- The two professional orders want to ensure the protection of the public, while voices are being raised to demand better supervision of third-party companies.
The two organizations responsible for protecting the public will carry out “joint action” in order to shed light on the company’s practices, they announced in newsletters sent to their respective members that The Press was able to consult.
“The CMQ and the OIIQ are concerned about the quality of the exercise and the respect for the professional standards prevailing within the Eden Telemed virtual clinic,” underlines Mauril Gaudreault, president of the College, in a message addressed to doctors Friday morning . “The teams from our respective professional orders will therefore collaborate over the coming weeks. »
In a report published last October, a coroner raised “concerns” about the care of Eden Telemed; a man died of “cardiovascular disease” after consulting for respiratory problems and a feeling of chest pressure. A specialist nurse practitioner diagnosed him with bronchitis via telemedicine.
Read the survey The Press
The Press revealed in mid-January that the platform was causing confusion about the training of the professionals who practice there, that doctors affiliated with the public plan were billing illegally or that services advertised by the clinic were incompatible with remote practice.
Eden Telemed defended itself from any ethical or legal infraction.
One of the owners, a pharmacist, recently pleaded guilty to seven charges before the disciplinary committee of his professional order. Jeremy Bitton notably kept expired products in stock and issued drug prescriptions in large quantities without knowing the end users.
-The elements raised by The Press and by the coroner regarding the Eden Telemed virtual clinic are very worrying and we will take joint action with the Order of Nurses of Quebec.
Mauril Gaudreault, president of the CMQ, by email
“At the Order of Nurses of Quebec, we are worried,” commented its president, Luc Mathieu, in a statement sent to The Press. “We want to ensure that the practice of the specialized nurse practitioners who work at the Eden Telemed private virtual clinic is safe and presents no risk to the public, while guaranteeing adequate care for users. »
Mr. Mathieu recalls that the code of ethics for nurses requires them to act competently at all times. “Where applicable, in the context of teleconsultation, certain interventions can only be done in person with the patient, for example when it comes to respiratory problems, ear infections or chest pain,” he emphasizes.
Tighten the framework?
In a brief submitted last September, the College of Physicians deplored that the current provisions do not grant it “real powers” to force companies, in particular telehealth platforms, to respect the standards relating to the profession, whether in matters of record keeping, advertising or invoicing.
This is why the organization demands “that existing private care and third-party entities with which doctors can associate be more rigorously regulated and supervised by the government,” indicates the Dr Mauril Gaudreault in his statement.
The Interprofessional Council, which brings together the 46 professional orders of Quebec, also reacted to the report by The Press on Eden Telemed by asking that the supervision of organizations which offer professional services be reviewed.
“Professional orders must be able to intervene when business practices and the influence of third parties have an impact on the professional’s ability to carry out their activities with integrity and competence,” wrote the group in a press release published on January 16.
