Advertising FAQs

FAQs: Advertising

• Can I use testimonials?

  Yes. The Advertising Standard was revised by Council effective February 1, 2019. Testimonials can now be used in advertisements for physiotherapy care. All testimonials must be true, verifiable and accurate. This means that  testimonials need to be genuine, not paid for or written by the PT or clinic staff, but written by patients who received care.

• Can I link my clinic’s website to a third party website (such as Facebook, Instagram and Yelp for example)?

  Yes you can. Likes, stars and ratings are also acceptable.  

• Can a physiotherapist endorse a product?

  Whenever you (as the PT) use your professional title in support of something, you will want to be sure it is done appropriately, professionally, and within the scope of practice. Your opinion must be free of bias or conflict of interest and there must be science and evidence to support the use of the product.

• Can a physiotherapy clinic claim they are better than another service provider?

  No. A physiotherapy clinic or service provider cannot claim superiority over another one. Using words like “best” or “better than” to describe the physiotherapy delivered and comparing it to another provider is not permitted under the Advertising Standard.

  You can describe the quality of care by using words such as “the best care possible” or “the highest quality of care” without comparing yourself to another provider. This is acceptable.

• Can I offer deals or discounts for physiotherapy services?

  Physiotherapists may give deals or discounts (for example, a Groupon) to offer financial help to patients who need care. The PT must perform a comprehensive assessment (and reassessment), and any treatments provided must be therapeutically necessary.
  
  The physiotherapy services should meet all relevant standards, such as you cannot provide care that is of a lesser quality because there is a promotion attached. If the Groupon or deal is for a package of services and the patient requires fewer sessions than what was purchased, the difference should be refunded.

• Can I offer package deals? For example, selling treatments of 5 for $200 rather than $50 per session?

  Charging a set fee for a block of services is permitted provided certain conditions are met. These conditions are described in the Professional Misconduct Regulation which states that the services included in the block should be specific to the patient and the patient should be given the choice whether or not to participate.
  
  Should the patient require fewer sessions than what was purchased, the difference should be refunded. Otherwise, the invoice would not accurately reflect the service that was provided and the fee could be considered excessive for the service that was received.
  
  Have a look at the Fees, Billing and Accounts Standard to learn more.