From: At-risk advertising by Australian chiropractors and physiotherapists
Section 5 of the 2014 AG (§5) Category | Physiotherapists with Breaches: Number & (%) | Example |
---|---|---|
(a) Create unwarranted and unrealistic expectations about service effectiveness | 2 (0.53%) | Your physiotherapist will use a combination of joint mobilization, stretching, manual therapy, electrotherapy, ultrasound and structured exercise programs to get you back to 100% health. |
(b) Encourage (directly or indirectly) inappropriate, indiscriminate, unnecessary or excessive use of health services; | 8 (2%) | Book your Free Initial Assessment today [without terms or conditions] |
(c) Mislead, either directly, or by implication, use of emphasis, comparison, contrast or omission | 78 (20%) | Given the frequency and variety of misleading claims uncovered, examples are presented in table form. (Table 5: Minor Misleading Claims & Table 6: Major Misleading Claims) |
(d) Use testimonials or purported testimonials | 179 (47%) | I started going to ‘Suburb’ Physio last year after getting some terrible neck pain from a combination of bad sitting posture at work, and a heavy training schedule. Bob and Jane have done an amazing job at relieving my neck pain! Bob gave me a comprehensive assessment and really took the time to understand what was causing my pain. He gave me exercises to help strengthen the affected muscles and to prevent further injury. |
(e) compare professions without evidence | no breaches found | Â |
(f). Claim or imply that a practitioner provides superior services to those provided by other registered health practitioners | 51 (11%) | ‘Y’ Physiotherapy is Australia’s leading physiotherapy clinic for swimmers. |
(g) exaggerate recovery time; | no breaches found | Â |
(h) Lead Audience to Self-Diagnosis | no breaches found | Â |
(i) Abuse the trust of or exploit a lack of knowledge by the target audience (unconscionable conduct) | no breaches found | Â |
(l) Contain language that could cause undue fear or distress | no breaches found | Â |
(m) Contain any information or material likely to make a person believe his or her health or wellbeing may suffer from not taking or undertaking the health service | no breaches found | Â |
(n) misrepresent price information | no breaches found | Â |
(o) Unfounded Claims: a practitioner has an exclusive or unique skill or remedy, or that a product is ‘exclusive’ or contains a ‘secret ingredient’ | no breaches found |  |
(o)4. Claim or imply that results are always effective | 8 (2%) | we will find out what the problem is and treat to fix it. We can help you, no matter what your goal is |
(j, k & p) Combined: Failure to disclose risks, warn of material risks, omit warning statements | no breaches found | Â |
(q) provide a patient or client with an unsolicited appointment time not requested by the patient or client | no breaches | Â |
(r) promote tobacco products, smoking, alcohol, or any other addictive substances or products known to affect health adversely | no breaches | Â |
(s) be vulgar, sensational, contrary to accepted standards of propriety or likely to bring a health profession into disrepute, for example, because the advertising is sexist. | no breaches | Â |