Advisory: Medical Practitioners’ Participation in Online Search Engine Optimisation Platforms

1     Medical practitioners should refrain from participating in online Search Engine Optimisation platforms that make use of patient feedback and ratings, as these feedback and ratings can be considered to be patient testimonials which are forbidden under the circumstances stated in G2(7) of the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines [PDF, 1.5 MB] (“ECEG”) and G2.3 of the Handbook on Medical Ethics [PDF, 2.4 MB] (“HME”).

 2     We refer to the following sections of the SMC ECEG, and the HME:

 G2(7) of the SMC Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines [PDF, 1.5 MB]

Testimonials are subjective and must not be used in advertising on any media where you have any control over the content about yourself. You must not ask or induce your patients or anyone to write positive testimonials about you in any media.

 G2.3 of the SMC Handbook on Medical Ethics [PDF, 2.4 MB]

Subjective praise and compliments about you or your services have no place in medical advertising. Testimonials are subjective and are not allowed to be used in advertising on any media where you have any control over the content about yourself. Equally, you are not to ask or induce your patients or anyone to write positive testimonials about you in any media. Patient testimonials, even if genuine, are disallowed because any number of testimonials cannot present the whole picture of your practice accurately or truthfully, and because these may not be representative of the collective views of your patients. Testimonials by famous persons or celebrities would in addition be deemed sensational.

 Testimonials or their equivalent are disallowed in websites, social networking media and blogs that you maintain or which content you have control over. If you manage such media, you have to ensure that testimonials or their equivalent do not appear in these platforms, even through hyperlinks.

 Where you have no control over the media or the content about yourself, it is possible that gratuitous laudatory comments are spontaneously written about you in blogs, doctor review websites or other social media. However, it is unacceptable for you to specifically ask or induce your patients to write positive testimonials about you.

 3     In particular, medical practitioners should not be paying for such services by purchasing packages from these platforms for the purpose of obtaining patient testimonials, as payment for such packages or services could be considered to be express agreement on the part of medical practitioners to allow patient testimonials to be part of their publicity and medical advertisement activities.

 4     Thank you.

Mr Peter LEE

Executive Secretary, Singapore Medical Council