Portugal’s independent healthcare regulator, ERS, sanctioned a Lisbon clinic for using the term medicina integrativa in a way that suggested it was offering full-fledged medical care backed by proven effectiveness. The clinic then simply removed the word medicina from its name and continued operating. Público found that at least 54 clinics in Lisbon use similar wording — “integrative”, “biological” or “holistic” medicine — without facing consequences so far.

The issue is not the term itself, but the risk that patients may assume they are dealing with a standard medical clinic staffed by licensed doctors and using evidence-based treatments, when that is not always the case.

How to check a clinic in Portugal before booking an appointment:

— Check whether it is registered with ERS, the official registry of healthcare providers.
— Clarify exactly which specialist will be seeing you: a doctor, dentist, physiotherapist, osteopath or another practitioner. These are different professions with different licensing and regulatory requirements.
— Ask for the practitioner’s full name and check it with the relevant professional association.
— Pay close attention to what is being promised: “detox”, “hormone restoration” or “treating the whole body” should be treated as red flags.
— Ask for a written description of the procedure and on what basis it is being offered.

If you believe a clinic is presenting questionable practices as medicine, you can file a complaint with ERS.