Patient Testimonials and AHPRA: What You Can Actually Publish

Under the AHPRA advertising guidelines, you cannot use testimonials about clinical care in your health ads. That rule catches more than most clinics realise. The five-star review you put on your homepage counts. So does the patient quote in your Instagram caption. What matters most is who published the praise and where it sits.

Can you use patient testimonials in healthcare advertising?

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

If you have not read the general rules yet, start with the main guide on what your clinic can and cannot say under AHPRA. AHPRA is the body that registers health workers and sets the ad rules. You can read the testimonial rule on the AHPRA advertising hub.

Here is the part that surprises people. The praise itself is fine. The risk comes from who published it and where.

Why is the review on your own website the problem?

It comes down to control. Say a patient leaves a review on your Google Business Profile. You did not ask for it, pick it or repost it. That review is usually treated differently from one you lift into your own ads. Once you copy it onto your website, screenshot it for an ad or pin it on social, things change. You have turned a patient's own comment into a testimonial you are using to sell. Clinics cross that line without noticing.

So the same sentence can be fine in one place and break the rules in another. Where it sits and who controls it decide the risk. If you want to test a real case, AHPRA has a testimonial tool for exactly that.

What counts as a testimonial?

A testimonial can be much more than a star review. The ban looks at what the words say, whatever shape they come in.

• Direct quotes from a patient about their care or result.
• Reworded feedback, such as "our patients tell us they feel so much better". This is the one people miss.
• Social comments you reshare or pin that praise a clinical result.
• Video or written patient stories that name a patient or hint at a typical result.
• Influencer content your clinic set up. If you organised it, it is your ad.

The same logic applies to before-and-after photos. They are really a testimonial in picture form. For those rules, see the guide on before-and-after photos under AHPRA. The ban also follows you onto Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. There, a reshared review or a comment can become your ad. The guide on TGA and social media for clinics shows how this plays out post by post. In fields like psychology the ban is even wider, because almost any client comment is clinical. You can read about that in the guide on AHPRA advertising guidelines for psychologists.

What can you safely use instead?

You can use plenty. You lose the clinical testimonial. You keep everything that builds trust honestly.

• Feedback about your service. "The booking was easy and the staff were kind" is about the visit. It says nothing about a clinical result.
• Your real training and experience, said plainly.
• Clear, factual explanations of a procedure and what the evidence says.
• Case information that does not name a patient or claim a typical result.

You do not need the risky quote. You need to show you are good at what you do, and you are allowed to do that.

Can you ask patients for reviews at all?

Yes. You can invite patients to leave honest feedback, and you can collect it. The rule does not stop you gathering reviews. It covers how you use them in your ads.

So keep reviews where they belong. Say a patient writes a review on an outside site, and you do not pick it or repost it. That is treated differently from a review you lift into your own marketing. Do not copy the clinical ones onto your site, your ads or your social. Use feedback to improve your service. You can also gather comments about the visit itself, and you are allowed to use those.

How to check your own site this week

Open every page and every social profile. For each patient quote, ask 2 questions. First, is it about clinical care? Second, did you choose to publish or share it? If both answers are yes, it is a risk.

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