Greece has introduced an artificial intelligence system that scans doctors’ online activity and flags potential violations for human review.
Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis presented Med Watch on Friday, September 18. The system checks medical advertising, websites and social media against doctors’ licenses and healthcare regulations. Greek public broadcaster ERTnews carried the presentation live.
How Med Watch Works
Med Watch searches the digital presence of doctors and healthcare facilities. It checks websites, Google results, online advertisements and social media profiles.
The system then compares the information with official medical records and licensing rules. It can also examine platforms that connect patients with healthcare providers.
Med Watch looks for claims that may fall outside a doctor’s permitted activities. It can also flag services that require a different type of healthcare facility.
The system sorts its findings into four categories: red, yellow, green and gray.
AI does not decide whether a doctor has broken the law. It only flags information for further review. Human authorities must make the final decision.
8,500 Healthcare Structures Scanned
The system has already scanned about 8,500 healthcare structures.
It found 5,069 findings that require further assessment. Some facilities had more than one finding.
The system marked 231 cases as high severity. These included 160 non-medical facilities such as spas and beauty institutes, 50 medical practices, 12 private clinics and seven polyclinics.
The figures do not mean that authorities confirmed 231 violations. They show cases that Med Watch flagged for further investigation.
The relevant services and disciplinary bodies will examine those findings before reaching any conclusions.
A New Tool for Patients
The government also plans a second digital tool for patients.
The tool will let people check a doctor’s license before visiting a private practice. It will also show what procedures a facility can legally provide.
Officials say the tool is technically ready. The government still needs to settle legal and personal-data issues. It expects the system to become operational in about a month.
Authorities have also discussed a QR code for medical practices. Patients could use it to access information about the facility and its licensed services.
From Complaints to Continuous Monitoring
Med Watch aims to change how authorities detect possible problems in private healthcare.
Instead of waiting for a complaint, the system can search public online information on an ongoing basis. It can flag new advertisements or claims as they appear.
The government also plans a committee to examine areas such as regenerative medicine and wellness services. The committee will look at regulatory gaps and areas where current rules remain unclear.
For patients, the new system could add another layer of information before they choose a private healthcare provider.
For regulators, it creates a way to monitor a large amount of online material that would be difficult to check manually.
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