The restriction of Doctolib to only professionals with an RPPS or ADELI number reshapes the landscape of online medical appointment booking. For practitioners excluded from the marketplace as well as for patients seeking consultations outside the conventional framework, the choice of platform is based on specific technical criteria: HDS hosting, interoperability with the digital Ségur, management of third-party payment, and integration with business software.
Ségur Interoperability and Technical Building Blocks for Appointment Booking
The real differentiating criterion between platforms does not lie in the patient interface. It resides in the ability to integrate with the tele-services of the Health Insurance and the requirements of the Digital Ségur: management of the INS (National Health Identity), feeding the DMP, digital prescriptions.
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Tools like LibreRDV, CalenDoc, or Keldoc function as technical building blocks for appointment booking integrated into business software (Crossway, LGC). We observe that this modular approach allows for online booking without relying on a marketplace, while remaining aligned with the regulatory obligations of e-health.
For a practice already using a Ségur-referenced software, adding a compatible appointment booking module is cheaper and preserves control over patient flow. The practitioner keeps their data in their own system, without duplicating it on a third-party server over which they do not control governance.
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Before migrating to a competing solution, we recommend checking if your current business software has a native connector with one of these building blocks. If so, it becomes possible to find an alternative to Doctolib without changing your entire software infrastructure.
Teleconsultation at the Conventional Rate: MEDADOM and Third-Party Payment Without Extra Cost
In the teleconsultation segment, not all platforms are equal in terms of patient out-of-pocket costs. MEDADOM offers teleconsultations at the conventional sector 1 rate, without subscription or service fees, with generalized third-party payment via the Vitale card.
This business model contrasts with that of Doctolib, where teleconsultation depends on the connected practitioner and their convention sector. For a patient in ALD or benefiting from complementary health solidarity, the difference in out-of-pocket costs can be significant.
The technical point to check: does the platform directly manage the billing flow with the Health Insurance, or does the practitioner have to re-enter the information in their own software? MEDADOM integrates this building block, which reduces administrative time on the doctor’s side.
Practitioners Outside RPPS: Platforms Dedicated to Alternative Medicine
Since 2023, unregulated naturopaths, sophrologists, hypnotherapists, and osteopaths no longer have access to Doctolib. The market has structured around specialized platforms like Liberlo or Resalib, designed for these professions.
The selection criteria for these tools differ from those of the regulated sector:
- Integrated online payment (deposit or full payment via Stripe or equivalent), since these consultations do not go through third-party payment
- Customizable booking page in the colors of the practice, a differentiation lever that Doctolib did not offer even when these professions had access
- No commission on fees, a business model based on a fixed monthly subscription rather than a fee per act
Maiia (a subsidiary of Cegedim) also covers part of this segment, with the advantage of certified HDS hosting and native integration with Cegedim software. For an osteopath already using a Cegedim tool, migrating to Maiia is almost seamless.
Strategy Without a Platform: Google Profile and Site with Booking Module
A trend we observe among practitioners established for several years: abandoning any third-party platform in favor of a personal site equipped with a booking module (CalenDoc, ClicRDV, or a dedicated WordPress plugin).
This approach relies on a prerequisite often underestimated: a properly optimized Google Business Profile. Without it, the practitioner’s site remains invisible to patients searching for a doctor in their geographical area. The Google profile, combined with an integrated booking module, replicates the patient journey of Doctolib without dependence on the marketplace.
The limitations of this strategy are real:
- No network effect, unlike Doctolib where a patient looking for a general practitioner can discover a specialist in the same practice
- No centralized management of SMS reminders unless subscribing to an additional service
- Technical maintenance is the responsibility of the practitioner or their web service provider
For a practitioner whose schedule is full and looking to reduce subscription costs, this strategy works. For a newly established practitioner seeking clientele, the visibility of a marketplace remains a difficult-to-replace accelerator.
The choice between an alternative platform and an autonomous solution ultimately depends on two variables: the current fill rate of the practice and the desired degree of integration with the tele-services of the Health Insurance. A regulated practitioner in an underserved area does not have the same constraints as a sophrologist in the city center. Asking these two questions before comparing monthly rates avoids most migration errors.