Patient Testimonials and AHPRA: What You Can Actually Publish

Under the AHPRA advertising guidelines, you cannot use testimonials about clinical care in healthcare advertising, and that catches more than most clinics realise. The five-star review you embedded on your homepage counts. So does the patient quote in your Instagram caption. The surprising part is that the issue is not the praise. It is who published it and where.

Can you use patient testimonials in healthcare advertising?

No, not when they are about the clinical aspects of care, and that catches far more than most clinics expect. Under Australian law, advertising a regulated health service must not use testimonials about clinical care. The glowing review you embedded on your homepage counts. So does the patient quote in your social caption. Most clinics have at least one live on their site right now and have no idea it is a problem.

If you have not read the general rules yet, start with the pillar guide on what your clinic can and cannot say under AHPRA. The testimonial rule is set out on the AHPRA advertising hub.

Here is the part that surprises people. The issue is not the praise. It is who published it and where.

Why is the review on your own website the problem?

It comes down to control. A review sitting on your Google Business Profile, that you did not solicit, select, or republish, is generally treated differently from one you have lifted and placed in your own advertising. The moment you copy that review onto your website, screenshot it for an ad, or pin it on social, you have turned an independent comment into a testimonial you are using to advertise. That is the line clinics cross without noticing.

So the same sentence can be fine in one place and a breach in another. Location and control are everything. If you want to test a specific case, AHPRA publishes a testimonial tool for exactly that.

What counts as a testimonial?

More than a star review. The ban is about content, not format.

• Direct quotes from a patient about their care or result.
• Paraphrased feedback, such as "our patients tell us they feel so much better". This is the one people miss.
• Reshared or pinned social comments that praise a clinical outcome.
• Video or written case stories that identify a patient or imply a typical result.
• Influencer content arranged by the clinic. If you organised it, it is your advertising.

The same outcome-claim logic runs through the before-and-after question, which is really a visual testimonial. For those rules, see the guide on before-and-after photos under AHPRA. The ban also follows your content onto Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, where a reshared review or a comment can become your advertising. The guide on TGA and social media for clinics walks through how this plays out post by post. In fields like psychology the ban is even broader, because almost any client comment is clinical. That is covered in the guide on AHPRA advertising guidelines for psychologists.

What can you safely use instead?

Plenty. You lose the clinical testimonial. You keep everything that builds trust honestly.

• Non-clinical feedback about service. "The booking was easy and the staff were kind" is about experience, not a clinical outcome.
• Your real credentials and experience, stated plainly.
• Clear, factual explanations of a procedure and what the evidence says.
• Case information presented without identifying a patient or claiming a typical outcome.

You do not need the risky quote. You need proof of competence, and that is allowed.

Can you ask patients for reviews at all?

Yes. You can invite patients to leave honest feedback, and you can collect it. The rule is not about gathering reviews. It is about how you use them in advertising.

So keep the reviews where they belong. A review a patient writes on an independent platform, that you do not select or republish, is treated differently from one you lift into your own marketing. Do not copy the clinical ones onto your site, your ads, or your social. If you want to act on feedback, use it to improve the service, and to gather non-clinical comments about experience, which you are allowed to use.

How to check your own site this week

Open every page and every social profile. For each patient quote, ask two questions. Is it about clinical care? Did we choose to publish or amplify it? If both answers are yes, it is a risk.

This is general guidance for clinic owners and marketers, not legal advice. AHPRA updates its guidance from time to time. Check the current version, and get formal advice for high-stakes pages.