Social media is one of the most powerful tools for advertising and connecting with people all over the world, and medical professionals in Australia are in no way left out. Social media marketing includes several elements like paid advertising, influencer marketing, branding and awareness, content marketing, and community engagement, among others, and you can explore any of these avenues as a medical professional. However, you must remain aware of your ethical, professional, and legal obligations when using social media, as outlined in the AHPRA guidelines and supported by National law.

Understanding Ahpra’s Social Media and Advertising Framework

Whether you’re anonymous or not, your use of social media as a medical practitioner must satisfy certain obligations as outlined by the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (Ahpra). That’s because misconduct online can negatively impact public safety and the public’s confidence in seeking healthcare. However, that’s not to say that medical practitioners cannot freely express their views online; instead, they must avoid any bigoted or abusive statements. This blog will explore all there is to Ahpra’s social media and advertising framework so that you can stay compliant. You’ll also see how Caffeinated Marketing can help you manage social media advertising as a medical professional and ensure compliance with AHPRA’s rules. 

Key Obligations for Medical Professionals on Social Media

According to Ahpra, the key obligations for medical professionals on social media include:

• complying with confidentiality and privacy obligations 
• complying with one’s professional obligations as defined in the Board’s Code of Conduct
• maintaining professional boundaries 
• communicating professionally and respectfully, and 
• Not presenting information that is false, misleading, or deceptive, including advertising only claims that are supported by acceptable evidence.

We will expatiate on these obligations in the following few sections, but let’s first clarify what advertising on social platforms means.

What Counts as Advertising on Social Platforms

AHPRA’s general advertising guidelines, backed by the National law, define advertising as any form of verbal, printed, and electronic communication that promotes and seeks to attract a person to use a regulated health service. Hence, any form of social media marketing- branding/profile setup, influencer/third-party partnerships, community engagement, and obviously paid advertising can count as an advertisement if it promotes a service. Furthermore, the rules require that the ad not be misleading or deceptive, offer any inducement to attract people to seek the service, use testimonials about the service, or create an unreasonable expectation of treatment. Advertising on social media counts as advertising under the National law, and you must comply with the guidelines that govern advertising a regulated health service as a medical practitioner.

Prohibited Content: Testimonials, Misleading Claims, and More

You should not include testimonials/online reviews/patient recommendations when advertising regulated health services on social media. Furthermore, you should remove testimonials by patients from your page/profile and disable the function if possible. Sometimes, you may not have any control over online reviews or testimonials, especially on third-party sites, but you should not engage with these reviews. 

Any statement on your social media that implies a health-related outcome but doesn’t have sufficient evidence to back it up is in breach of the advertising guidelines. A claim can be directly misleading or deceptive through emphasis, omission, or comparison, so it is essential always to double-check your posts. Another aspect to watch out for is branding on social media. You should not imply qualifications or expertise that you don’t have because this is misleading.

If you’re a medical professional who advertises cosmetic surgery, then you must also know that AHPRA has guidelines for registered medical practitioners who advertise cosmetic surgery, and these apply to social media too.

Maintaining Professionalism, Privacy, and Boundaries Online

Every medical professional is bound by a code of conduct that requires them to treat their patient with respect, protect their privacy, and communicate respectfully with them and other professionals. This also extends to their use of social media. Do not share any information via comments, photos, or videos on social media that can reveal personal information about a patient. It doesn’t even have to be one post. Several posts scrutinised by anyone close enough to a patient can be enough.  

Your views on clinical issues are influential, and you should refrain from making social media statements that could make a patient feel judged or embarrassed. Avoid using overly familiar or suggestive comments that can breach the Code of Conduct.

Safe Content Ideas That Comply With AHPRA Rules

Consider a social media strategy that focuses on adding value to the public- educating people and providing general awareness. That way, you’re more likely to avoid a rule breach. Let’s consider a few content ideas.

You can opt for general educational posts- discussion of common conditions, myth-busters, preventive health tips, and step-by-step guides. Do your diligent research and ensure to post the correct information. Creating awareness of key health issues, e.g, public health campaigns like Breast Cancer, sharing links to official health resources will also likely keep you compliant.

You can also share your professional opinion on trending health topics by discussing new evidence or guidelines, or summarising research, but ensure these are supported by factual information and publicly accessible evidence.

If you want to share things about your practice, you can share photos of your clinic, introduce your team members with their accurate qualifications, and celebrate their professional milestones. You can also announce new services, changes in working hours or schedule, and new safety measures.

When engaging the general public on social media, stick to offering general advice and answering questions without specific comments to a person. You can host Q&A sessions on general topics, conduct polls or quizzes to determine people’s awareness of general health issues, and discuss the results.

Consequences of Non-Compliance: Penalties, Investigations, and Cases

If you fail to comply with AHPRA’s guidelines on social media and advertising, what happens? First, they’ll open an investigation to determine if there’s genuinely a breach of the guidelines. You should know that AHPRA actively monitors social media, but patients, your colleagues, and the general public can report you, too. If you’re found guilty of a guideline breach, the penalty can range from warnings to suspension of registration and fines.

The AHPRA has a register of public reprimands that anyone can access, and media coverage of a serious breach can hamper your practice for life. Breaching the advertising guidelines can also lead to legal action under the Australian Consumer Law.

A notable example of a practitioner who faced disciplinary action for breach of social media conduct rules includes Dr Ellis, whose registration was suspended because his social media posts denigrated groups within society, including demeaning references to members of the LGBTQI+ community, people of Islamic faith, and Chinese heritage.

Putting It Into Practice: Real-World Examples and Best Practices

Let’s consider a few scenarios here. A physiotherapist, Mr J, regularly posts short Instagram reels on stretching office routines for office workers, which is unlikely to breach AHPRA’s guidelines because they only provide general information with content that engages followers without making any claims about a cure for back pain. 

Another dentist, Dr A, posts about their personal journey in becoming a dentist and why they love what they do. This post makes them very relatable and builds the public’s trust, and they have advertised in some way without posting a testimonial.

How can you ensure compliance?

• Focus on evidence-based, publicly accessible information.
• Avoid inducements.
• Respect your professional boundaries with patients and other practitioners.

Finally, work with professionals who understand how to draft campaigns that effectively promote your brand while staying compliant. Contact us at Caffeinated Marketing right away if that’s what you need. Compliance isn’t a limitation to us; instead, we see it as a way for you to build a campaign that builds utmost trust in your practice.