Doctors, hospitals can't use AI to create testimonials: National Medical Commission

NEW DELHI: Doctors and hospitals cannot use AI to create patient testimonials, clinical outcomes or promotional content, nor can they pay to manipulate rankings like those on search engines and apps, under new ethical advertising guidelines issued by National Medical Commission Tuesday, effective immediately.NMC has barred registered medical practitioners and hospitals from using AI-generated content to advertise their services, solicit patients or disseminate unverifiable information about diagnoses, treatments or outcomes. AI cannot be used to create synthetic patient testimonials, voices, clinical outcomes or fake endorsements, or misrepresent the nature or quality of medical services.Doctors can't pay for manipulate search rankings. They also can't make unverified claims such as "best", "number one", "most trusted", "guaranteed cures" or "100% success".Doctors cannot engage influencers, advertising agencies or online platforms in arrangements involving payment linked to procuring patients. Doctors and hospitals cannot offer limited-period discounts, coupons, gift packages or referral benefits if these are likely to encourage unnecessary consultations. However, NMC allows doctors to use social media for factual, non-promotional health education. Hospitals can similarly share objective details. The guidelines restrict the use of patient photographs without valid consent and safeguards. Patient testimonials, before-and-after images and treatment-success claims that could create unrealistic expectations or mislead are also prohibited.NMC has prescribed a warning and mandatory ethics training for a first violation, censure and monetary penalty for a second, suspension for three to six months for a third, and six to 12 months for serious violations. Repeated violations can lead to removal from the medical register for one to three years. Anuja Jaiswal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Times of India, with an impressive 18-year career in narrative journalism. She specializes in health and heritage reporting, expertly simplifying complex health information to make it engaging and understandable for readers. Her deep dives into heritage topics are well-researched, resulting in captivating narratives that resonate with her audience. Over the years, she has worked in Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh and West UP, gaining diverse on-ground experience that shapes her storytelling.