(Yicai Global) Oct. 28 -- Online consultations could soon be a thing of the past as China releases a draft set of regulations to bring the “barbaric growth” of the internet-based healthcare industry under control.

Doctors must see all patients in person and diagnosis cannot be done by artificial intelligence software or other indirect means, according to the Draft Rules for Internet-Based Diagnosis and Treatment released yesterday for public comment. And all online medical staffers must be checked by the institutions they belong to to make sure they are properly qualified.

“The internet + healthcare industry has been growing rapidly in recent years. The new rules will regulate the behavior of institutions and staff members and standardize the industry,” Wang Shirui, founder and chief executive of chronic disease management platform Medlinker, told Yicai Global.

In order to clamp down on patients being prescribed unnecessary and expensive drugs or tests, the personal income of medical staff must not be directly linked with these services, the draft said. All text, pictures, audio and video generated during online conversations must be recorded, stored for at least 15 years and access must be provided to regulators.

The draft grants regulatory power to the provincial health authorities, requesting that they supervise internet-based healthcare practices within their jurisdiction.

Online pharmacies and internet-based hospitals only really took off during the Covid-19 pandemic which prevented many patients from visiting brick-and-mortar clinics in person. Previously the e-services had mainly been used to book appointments. Most e-healthcare platforms, however, are not yet turning a profit.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Kim Taylor