NMC proposes new guidelines for the Registered Medical Practitioners (2022)

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued new social media ethical standards for doctors, clinics, and hospitals. Stakeholders are invited to comment. The National Medical Commission (NMC) has established rules to prevent unethical use of social media and applications in which ‘likes,’ ‘following,’ and ‘ratings,’ including boosting doctors to the top of a list of ‘the finest doctors,’ are purchased.

Online consulting became the norm in the post-pandemic period. Apps and websites that assess and ‘list’ the finest doctors based on their social media followers, likes, and ratings appeared overnight, duping consumers into thinking that more followers, likes, and ratings equal the greatest doctor to consult. The National Medical Commission (NMC) has created standards for Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) to follow in order to limit the threat of misleading ads, unethical testimonials, promotions, and other unethical actions. The newly created ethical principles section is titled “The Conduct of RMPs on Social Media,” and the NMC has solicited opinions from various parties.

DocStokes, a one-of-a-kind digital marketing business that solely works in the healthcare industry, applauds the initial recommendations, having witnessed firsthand how unethical social media behaviours influence the masses. While the first recommendations try to correct the imbalanced system, it also considers the necessity for physicians to establish and maintain a social media presence, provided that the material given by RMPs (Registered Medical Practitioners) is true and verifiable.

The NMC further advises that material should not be dishonest or misleading, and it should not take advantage of patients’ lack of understanding or susceptibility by drawing a clear line between teleconsultation and social media. However, it should be emphasised that the NMC has not yet defined what falls under “social media.”

Docstokes founder and spokesman Dr Kavya Singh described the recommendations as “a fantastic place to start,” adding that it is “better late than never.” Although the recommendations need a thorough discussion, the NMC has solicited feedback from stakeholders.

DocStokes has been working with RMPs, Clinics, and Hospitals around the country to deliver excellent healthcare marketing services that are based on the medical profession’s ethics and laws since its inception two years ago. DocStokes is situated in Surat, Gujarat, and was founded by Dr. Kavya Singh. She knows the complexities of marketing medical information that may be easily misread because she is a doctor herself.

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