Popular house doctor tool is unlicensed, uses unclear sources to provide medical advice

The online tool for seeking medical advice, moetiknaardedokter.nl (MINDD), advises millions of people per year on whether they should seek medical help as soon as possible, or wait and see how their symptoms develop. Research by NOS found that the company does not have the proper licenses to provide the advice. It is also unclear on what basis MINDD makes its recommendations.

Patients complete a questionnaire, and MINDD advises them to wait and see, take paracetamol, call the house doctor today, seek medical assistance immediately, or call the emergency number 112. According to NOS, the websites of 1,006 of the 4,900 house doctor practices in the Netherlands redirect to the tool via a link before an appointment is made. Another 942 doctors have the tool on their websites.

This puts a lot of faith in someone’s ability to correctly list all their symptoms. The tool can also be very rigid in its advice. For example, a 40-year-old experiencing symptoms that could indicate a heart attack or pulmonary embolism is advised to call 112 immediately. A 39-year-old with the same symptoms receives additional questions about pregnancy and drug use, and is then advised to “contact your GP sometime today.”

According to NOS, the Ministry of Public Health already determined in 2023 that the tool was unreliable. And the Healthcare Inspectorate confirmed that it has not held the correct licenses for at least 5 years. Nevertheless, some 2,000 house doctor practices refer patients to it via their website.

It is also unclear what information the tool bases its advice on. The MINDD website states that the information is based on the Dutch Traige Standards (NTS) and the Dutch College of General Practitioners (NHG).

The NTS, the authority that draws up questionnaires for healthcare workers, told NOS that, until recently, it only produced questionnaires for healthcare providers, not for patients, and it did not provide information to MINDD.

The NHG also said that it is not involved. “We have not given permission to attach our name to it. It is also not clear to us what their tool is based on.”

According to the broadcaster, MINDD is also circumventing European rules by claiming to only provide information, not advice - despite the fact that the tool’s primary purpose is to advise patients on whether or not to contact a doctor. Information provision alone is subject to less strict control than advice.

MINDD told NOS that the European regulations can be interpreted in multiple ways, but it is still working on getting the correct documentation. “We are dotting the i’s now and want to nip the entire discussion in the bud by simply doing it.” That is enough for the Inspectorate not to launch an investigation for the time being, it told the broadcaster.

A GP out-of-hours clinic in Apeldoorn developed MINDD in 2012 to reduce pressure on healthcare. GP practices and emergency posts pay for the tool and per completed questionnaire. In turn, they receive funding from health insurers to put the tool on their websites.