The National Medical Commission (NMC), through its new guidelines, has put restrictions on how doctors and hospitals can use claims such as “Best,” “Number One,” “Most Trusted,” “Guaranteed Cures” and “100% success,” among others. “AI cannot be used to create synthetic patient testimonials, voices, clinical outcomes or fake endorsements,” the NMC guidelines issued with the aim of curbing misleading promotion of medical services, read.
The new guidelines, issued on October 7, have come into immediate effect. Violations will be dealt with under a graded system.
Doctors and hospitals that violate the rules for the first time will receive a warning and may be required to undergo mandatory ethics training. A second violation could lead to censure and a monetary penalty. In case of a third violation, a suspension of three to six months may be imposed.
Serious violations could attract a suspension of six to 12 months. Repeated offenders may face removal from the medical register for one to three years.
NMC Sets New Rules For Medical Advertising
According to the NMC’s new guidelines, medical practitioners and hospitals cannot use AI-generated content to advertise their services, solicit patients or share unverifiable information related to diagnoses, treatments and outcomes.
Doctors Barred From Manipulating Rankings
The NMC guidelines bar doctors from paying to manipulate their rankings on search engines and applications. Doctors also cannot make claims about the quality or success of medical services unless they are officially verified.
AI-Generated Material Prohibited
Doctors are also prohibited from using AI-generated material that could make their medical services appear more effective or successful than they actually are. The guidelines aim to ensure that patients can distinguish between genuine medical information and artificially created content.
Rules For Patient Acquisition And Influencers
The new guidelines also put rules on how doctors and hospitals can attract patients. Doctors cannot make deals with influencers, advertising agencies or online platforms where they are paid for bringing in patients.
Hospitals and doctors also cannot offer limited-period discounts, coupons, gifts or referral benefits if these could encourage people to seek consultations or treatments they may not actually need.
Rules For Patient Photos And Reviews
The NMC has also set rules for using patient photographs. Doctors and hospitals must take proper consent from patients before using their pictures and should follow the required privacy safeguards.
Patient testimonials and before-and-after photos are also restricted if they could give people unrealistic expectations about a treatment. Doctors and hospitals cannot make treatment-success claims in a way that could mislead patients.
Doctors Can Still Use Social Media
The guidelines do not stop doctors from using social media. Doctors can continue to share factual health information and educate people about medical issues.
Hospitals can also use online platforms to provide factual information about their services. However, such content should not become misleading advertising or make claims that cannot be verified.
NMC Guidelines Also Cover AI Content
The guidelines also cover newer forms of online content, including material created using artificial intelligence (AI). AI-generated testimonials, voices or claims about treatment results cannot be used to make fabricated information appear genuine.
Overall, the NMC guidelines cover several ways in which doctors and hospitals promote their services, including influencer promotions, search-engine rankings, discounts, referral offers, patient testimonials and treatment-success claims.
The main focus is to ensure that patients receive clear and factual information instead of being influenced by exaggerated claims, financial offers or content that gives a false impression of treatment results.
