Advertising and communication with the public

A summary of what you can expect of your physician or surgeon when they advertise or promote their medical services, the clinic or facility where they practise, or themselves to the public.

What to expect

A physician or surgeon may advertise their medical services in:

online or printed publications
television or radio
social media/blog posts
signs that are displayed in their practice setting

Most often, physicians and surgeons advertise their services to let patients know what type of medicine they practise (e.g. full-service primary care or psychiatry).

Sometimes physicians and surgeons advertise for commercial purposes when they offer services that are not covered by the provincial Medical Services Plan (e.g. for elective or cosmetic surgery, or treatments such as IV vitamin therapy). These types of uninsured services are paid directly by the patient.

Regardless of the purpose for advertising, all physicians and surgeons must follow the same rules. These rules are imposed by the �� in a practice standard, as well as in national requirements for advertising such as the and the issued by Health Canada.

When advertising and communicating with the public, a physician or surgeon must:

use their correct credentials,
use relevant and accurate information,
be clear about their services and what patients have to pay for,
not offer prizes, gifts, gift certificates, card points, bonus points, discounts or time-limited benefits for medical services or for attendance at informational sessions promoting medical interventions, cosmetic or otherwise
not include “before and after” photos, unless they have written consent from the patient to use their photographs in advertisements and include a disclaimer if they use stock photos of models who have received the same treatment but not from them,
not compare themselves to other physicians or surgeons or imply they are “better” than anyone else, and
not make promises about results.

Why do physicians and surgeons choose to advertise?

Physicians and surgeons advertise to let patients know what types of medical services they offer. It is also helpful for other physicians and surgeons to know what services are offered so they can make appropriate referrals.

How can physicians and surgeons advertise themselves?

The services a physician or surgeon can provide depends on the education and training they have completed. Their training also determines the title they are allowed to use. For instance, only some physicians and surgeons can call themselves specialists.

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