Currently, until the end of this year, doctors and dentists are banned from advertising themselves. This means that they cannot promote their activities or specific products. From the new year, this will change. The Code has been supplemented with the following provisions regarding the possibility of advertising:
- The doctor is entitled to use information about the services offered subject to such information being in accordance with the principles of medical ethics.
- Information about the services offered means any form of communication intended to publicise the image of a doctor or services related to the medical profession.
- The doctor is responsible for information about the services offered published by third parties on his behalf or for his benefit.
- It is unacceptable to use a doctor's authority to promote services unrelated to the medical profession.
The lifting of the ban on advertising in the KEL for doctors and dentists leaves no room for discretion. The new provisions state in general terms that the information must comply with the principles of the KEL. What is missing, however, are precise provisions on the form of advertising and the permitted content. Therefore, the Supreme Chamber of Physicians will enrich the code with comments with the possibility of discussing them within the medical community. What is certain is that doctors will not be allowed to promote services that are not related to their profession, e.g. advertising household appliances or clothing.
The changes to the KEL are of great importance, but doctors should be mindful of other documents that apply to them, including pharmaceutical law or regulations and resolutions of the Supreme Medical Council. They are also subject to the medical courts.
Doctor - influencer
For several years now, more and more doctors of various specialities have been active in social media and the media (press, radio, television or Internet portals). Many of them are engaged in educational activities, fulfilling their duty to "draw the attention of the public, the authorities and every patient to the importance of health protection, as well as to the ecological risk".. In an era of fake news and disinformation, this type of action is very much needed. Particularly as the most important source of health information for Poles (87.7%) is the Internet - as shown by the Biostat survey "Pole at the doctor 2nd wave of the survey"..
Not just advertising
The majority of Poles (73%) believe there is too much advertising and only 24% respondents trust their messages. They are present not only in the media, social media, but also in the public space - no wonder we are tired of them. Doctors who want to take advantage of the changes and start their self-promotion should analyse such activity. It is worth considering the bigger picture and the long-term aspect to look at this topic through the prism of building your own personal brand, rather than a one-off advertisement.
In this respect, we are talking about public relations in the broadest sense of the term, which, supported by advertising, can bring results not only in terms of new patients, but also in terms of recognition and building a lasting position for the expert in the media and society.
It is therefore worth betting not only on the presentation of the service offer or advertising "boasting", but acting in accordance with the already mentioned KEL, which states that "A doctor forms his professional opinion on the basis of the results of his work"., work on your image over the long term. To this end, comprehensive and consistent measures are needed, based on a well thought-out strategy and in line with current trends.
On the way to shaping one's expert position, important factors include:
- Maintain social media profiles - such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn. The content published should be understandable to the audience and interestingly presented. To reach a larger audience, it is worth promoting them
- Media positioning - cooperation with journalists, commenting on current topics in the area of specialisation in which the doctor is working. Such cooperation is based on long-term relationships. A specialist who is able to convey his or her knowledge in an understandable way will be willingly invited to appear on radio or TV, and his or her statements will be published in reach media.
- Maintaining a website - not only a description of your business, but also sharing your knowledge in the form of a blog can help build recognition. In this case, it is also worth implementing paid (advertising) activities to increase the chances of the website's high search engine ranking
- Profile on doctor review sites - it is a good idea to add your profile with a photo and description of your range of services, where patients can add their opinions
The long-awaited changes to the Code of Medical Ethics are undoubtedly a nod to doctors. It is worth taking advantage of the opportunities that come into effect from 2025 by starting your personal branding activities with a long-term and well-thought-out strategy.
