Using Testimonials in Medical Marketing in NY

It's not often I can get a straight answer from medical boards in various states about their professional codes as they relate to medical marketing, but New York has proven a helpful exception. Despite the fact that is common to see testimonials in medical website design for New York plastic surgeons, it is not allowed.

In New York state, physicians are governed the New York State Education Department's Office of the Professions. And when it comes to marketing, the code to be concerned about is Article 131-A, Section 6530.27. You can see the full text on at http://www.op.nysed.gov/article131-a.htm. Unlike California's business and professions code (which reads like VCR instructions back in the day when technology was confusing), the language is plain: "Advertising or soliciting not in the public interest shall include, but not be limited to, advertising or soliciting that:
uses testimonials."

So, if you are a physician, physicians assistant or medical specialist in NY, bottom line, no testimonials should appear in any advertising. And while I am reaching out on a limb here, I would also guess that real patient stories that quote a patient are frowned upon.

Inaugural Post

I'll make this first post a quick one. It's 1:30 in the morning and I'm all hopped up on green tea. For those of you who aren't yet acquainted with my obsessive habits, here's one of them. I read like a fiend, and when I'm reading magazines (my favorites include Business 2.0, Entrepreneur, Cosmetic Surgery Times, and anything left in the pocket of the seat in front of me on an airplane) I tear out pages.

It may be an idea for business innovation, new staff benefits, marketing tactics, or whatever catches my eye.

Then, when I happen on a sleepless night or a quiet moment, I'll pull together all those piles of torn out pages and start re-reading them. Going through the stack tonight I happened on an old article by Paul Sloan in Business 2.0 on blogging tips.

His list of seven recommendations, and I think this would be helpful for any doctor considering a blog of their own, was:

1. Focus on a narrow niche
   My focus is online marketing for the medical industry
2. Set up the blog so that each post gets a permaent URL
   blogger does that automatically for me
3. Think of the blog as a database
   My goal will be to make 3 posts a week, drawing inspiration from my daily calls with my surgeon-clients
4. Blog frequently and regularly
   See point 3
5. Using striking images
   That may be tough given the less than visual nature of most of my craft
6. Enable comments
   Check
7. Make friends with other bloggers
   I guess that would be better than making enemies

That's all for tonight. Sweet dreams everyone.

Ryan

http://www.etnainteractive.com