Content for a medical practice: doctor-approved education, no promises

Social media for medical practices: two worlds with different rules, put into the same phrase. Social networks reward a confident tone and the quick promise, while medicine calls for nuance, caution and respect for the patient. Good content for a practice stays on medicine’s side and still manages to get read.

We write and produce the material together with the doctors, not in their place. We bring the structure, language a patient can understand and the discipline of publishing. The doctor brings the medical content and has the final say on every post.

What patients ask before they call reception

A practice’s page usually looks something like this: a stock photo of a stethoscope, holiday greetings, a notice that the practice is closed on Monday. Nothing wrong with any of it, but nothing that helps a worried person choose a doctor either.

We start somewhere else: with the reception notebook. We ask the team to write down, for a few weeks, the questions that keep coming up on the phone. How long does the test take? Do I need to come on an empty stomach? Is it covered by insurance? Can I bring my child? Each question is a topic, and the published answer also cuts down the calls.

Social media for medical practices: topics you can publish with peace of mind

Educational content explains; it does not treat. It says what a condition is, which signs are worth showing a doctor and what happens during a test, and then it stops. Each piece carries the name of the doctor who approved it and a note that the information does not replace a consultation.

We write in the patient’s words, with the medical term explained once. A short clip in which the doctor answers, with captions, is usually easier to follow than an image crammed with text.

• Preparing for a consultation or test: what to bring, what you are allowed to eat, how long it takes.
• Common conditions: what they are and when to see a doctor, without encouraging self-diagnosis.
• The doctors: specialty, additional qualifications, the kinds of cases they see, the days they hold consultations.
• The practice: the patient’s route through it, the equipment explained in plain terms, how sterilisation is done.
• Practical information: appointments, the documents you need, payment and insurance cover.

Words we do not write: “cures”, “risk-free”, “the best”

No treatment has a guaranteed outcome, so no post promises one. We avoid superlatives, comparisons with other doctors and commercial pressure of the offer-ends-tonight kind. We talk about what is done, who it is suitable for and what its limits are.

The healthcare professions have their own rules on advertising and professional ethics, and they differ for doctors, dentists and psychologists. Before we start, we ask you to check with the professional body you belong to what you are allowed to communicate: titles, images of results, prices, promotions. Where you are in doubt, we choose the cautious option. Advertising for medicines and medical devices is checked separately.

A patient’s image and story: consent that is written, clear and revocable

The fact that someone is a patient of a practice is already information about their health, and health data has enhanced protection under GDPR. That is why our rule is simple: without written consent there is no photo, name, clip or story.

You settle the wording of the consent with your data protection officer or your lawyer. We take care of the practical side.

• The consent: a document separate from the medical record, stating exactly what material appears and where.
• Withdrawal: the patient can change their mind at any time, and the material comes down without argument.
• Minors: only with the consent of a parent or legal representative; as a rule we avoid featuring them.
• The frame: no other patients in the background, no screens showing records, no names on documents.
• Reviews: in your reply you do not confirm that the person was your patient and you mention nothing from their file.

Medical questions in the comments and a post’s route to publication

Under almost every post someone describes their symptoms and asks what is wrong with them. The answer is never a diagnosis. We use wording prepared with the doctor: an assessment can only be made at a consultation, and here is how to book one. If the message sounds like an emergency, we direct the person to 112 or to the nearest emergency department. We do not ask for test results or medical documents by direct message on social media.

We work to a monthly calendar. The writer prepares the material, the doctor reads it in a single session and corrects anything medical, then a person designated by the practice approves publication. We also keep the Google Business Profile up to date: the listing that appears in search and on the map with opening hours, phone number and reviews.

Whether the work is paying off shows in simple things: how many new patients say they found you on social media, how many routine questions still reach reception, which topics get saved and passed on. The number of followers says little about a practice in a single town.

This is a typical project description: it shows how we usually approach this kind of work and does not present a project carried out for a particular client. Every real project starts from your company’s situation, and the stages, timescales and price are agreed after the initial discussion.