The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the lifestyles of many people, and among these changes, remote medical consultation has gradually become a new trend. However, the Consumer Council has already received numerous related complaints in the past and yesterday (Aug. 19) published a research report targeting remote medical services.
The report found that remote diagnosis services provided by private practitioners of both Western and Chinese medicine in the market have multiple issues, including a fragmented regulatory framework, unclear legal responsibilities among service providers, and uncertain insurance coverage.
Most concerning is that the basic information provided by businesses, such as fees, is vague. In this regard, some citizens were charged more than double the expected amount after completing their consultation. Additionally, there is insufficient operational support; some people waited online for over an hour without being able to see a doctor, and calls to the platform for support were unsuccessful.
A Wen Wei Po reporter attempted to inquire with remote medical businesses yesterday and also found that fee information was unclear, and it was impossible to schedule a same-day appointment with a doctor. Some appointment hotlines were left waiting for most of the day without a response by the time of the deadline.
Between 2020 and June 2025, the Consumer Council received a total of 7 complaints related to remote medical services, more than half of which involved failure to provide services or refunds. The highest amount involved in a single case exceeded HK$1,300. The Council also interviewed 840 consumers, 833 practitioners of Western and Chinese medicine, and 14 remote medical service businesses, and reviewed the official websites and promotional materials of 19 service providers, uncovering numerous issues.
Almost all interviewed practitioners of Western and Chinese medicine believed that remote medical services have room for improvement.
Lack of transparency in fees; refund mechanisms need improvement
The report pointed out that businesses generally lack transparency even in the most basic fees, and refund mechanisms are unclear.
Selwyn Yu, a Senior Counsel and member of the Consumer Council, noted that 5 businesses did not provide fee information before customers registered an account or made an inquiry.
He cited a case where a complainant paid HK$400 when booking a service, believing it to be a pre-payment for the consultation. However, after completing the consultation, the platform additionally charged HK$550 for the consultation, medication, and medication delivery service.
"It turned out that the initial HK$400 was only a booking fee." At the same time, as many as 15 businesses did not specify whether a full refund or a free face-to-face consultation would be arranged if the doctor deemed the patient unsuitable for remote diagnosis.
Unable to cover doctors in all regions
The study also revealed that 11 businesses provided unclear customer service information, making it difficult for consumers to contact customer service when they encountered problems or needed to complain. One complainant tried to contact a doctor for over an hour when booking a consultation without success, and calls to the platform for help were also unsuccessful.
It showed that among 13 interviewed businesses, only 5 claimed that the platforms or communication tools they used had privacy protection certification, raising concerns among many consumers and medical practitioners about being tracked and monitored.
A Wen Wei Po reporter called to inquire about a business mentioned in the report that claimed to "gather general practitioners and specialists from all over Hong Kong," and found that the platform was an insurance company. The staff indirectly noted that details needed to be inquired about with the third-party provider offering the medical services.
The reporter also downloaded the service provider's application for a test and found that no doctors were available for immediate remote consultation services. Patients could only book appointments with over ten general practitioners and specialists in four areas: Aberdeen, Central, Tsim Sha Tsui, and Mong Kok. This did not match the website's claim of "covering general practitioners and specialists across Hong Kong," and same-day appointments for same-day consultations were not possible.
Personal information not protected
Regarding privacy, the reporter found that users must input their name, contact information, and even pre-pay a booking fee before the consultation, requiring the provision of credit or debit card details during the process. The terms and conditions stated that "once your information is successfully uploaded, it will be permanently stored until your account is deactivated, and the registered healthcare professional or medical service provider you selected may also access your information," indicating that personal information is not protected.
Another platform offering remote medical services only disclosed that the basic consultation fee, along with three days of medication costs approximately HK$300. Specific amounts for special medications or other services were not listed, though additional fees were mentioned. For a Chinese medicine clinic, staff stated that the online consultation fee was HK$100, with daily medication costs of HK$90. Typically, a four-day supply of medication is prescribed, and if the dosage needs to be increased, an additional HK$10 per gram of powder is charged.
The reporter also called a private hospital offering remote medical services for an inquiry. The call was transferred to the relevant department but ultimately went unanswered. Another private hospital's remote medical appointment hotline also did not receive a response.
The Consumer Council put forward five major recommendations, including the government collaborating with professional medical institutions to develop detailed guidelines for relevant professionals; establishing a whitelist and creating a voluntary certification system; and improving market transparency and service availability.
(Source: Wen Wei Po; Journalist: Zhang Xian, Lee Tsz-shan; English Editor: Darius)
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