Testimonials are an everyday part of the modern consumer world including use within healthcare services. Goods and services are regularly rated on quality, effectiveness, affordability and many other factors, allowing people to determine their best options. Within the healthcare profession, there are numerous websites devoted to sharing patient testimonials and experiences in addition to public reviews recorded on search engines and mapping applications.
However, some regulated health professions are well behind the curve, not only prohibiting testimonials but actively disciplining practitioners if they fail to track down other parties who may have publicly rated or commented on the services they’ve received.
Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture (TCM&A) is once such regulated health profession that has not yet modernized its code of conduct to reflect today’s standards and practices. As such, we seek the support of your office to urge regulatory change in the near term that would align TCM&A with professions such as physiotherapy and chiropractic, both of which are permitted to share patient testimonials. These professions have had these permissions for years, with specific guidelines around wording to ensure clarity, transparency, and patient protection.
According to the Colleges of Physiotherapists of Ontario (CPO) and the College of Chiropractors of Ontario (CCO) these practices have not compromised patient safety.
In fact, these and other RHPs agree that authentic testimonials help better serve patients and the public by providing firsthand information about their treatment options and outcomes.
Health insurance companies are increasingly guiding their clients toward providers with higher ratings. They recognize that testimonials not only help patients identify the most suitable and effective practitioners, but also serve as a valuable tool for encouraging clients to share feedback and evaluate practitioner performance.
In the regulation under the Traditional Chinese Medicine Act, 2006 Ontario Regulation 318/12, Professional Misconduct, section 30 prohibits “Using or permitting the use of a testimonial from a patient, former patient or other person in respect of the member’s practice.”
The section should be removed.
Within the noted regulation, section 29, states “Permitting the advertising of the member or his or her practice in a manner that is false or misleading or that includes statements that are not factual and verifiable.”. This section ensures that any testimonials used will be accurate, factual, verifiable and not misleading, ensuring that the safety of the public is maintained.
This change will appropriately modernize the Act, remove unnecessary red tape, improve service delivery and enhance patient safety.
For more information, please contact:
Katrina Dollano, Vice-President, TCMO: katrina.dollano@tcmo.ca
Heather Kenny, President, TCMO: heather.kenny@tcmo.ca