Abstract
Abstract Background Healthcare providers are increasingly using social media websites such as Facebook to advertise their services. The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency guidance on the advertising of healthcare is based on the National Law in Australia and prohibits advertising that is contrary to the patient’s best interests. Aim To determine the legal and regulatory advertising compliance of the Facebook pages of specialist orthodontic practices in Australia. Methods The Facebook pages of specialist orthodontic practices were identified following a systematic search strategy. The content uploaded to each ‘eligible’ page between March 2019 and February 2020 was reviewed with regard to five specific domains of prohibited advertising. Cronbach’s Alpha Test was used to determine intra-rater agreement. Results The Facebook pages of 147 specialist orthodontist practices in Australia, representing 288 specialist orthodontists, satisfied inclusion criteria. Most Facebook pages (82.3%) breached the Law in one or more domains. The mean number (standard deviation) of domains breached was 1.65 (1.3), range 0–5. Non-compliance regarding ‘the use of testimonials’ (76.9%) and ‘information that was likely to create unrealistic expectations of orthodontic treatment’ (40.8%) were the domains most commonly contravened. All five domains were breached in 5.4% of practice Facebook pages. Intra-rater scores were strong, ranging from 0.84 to 0.94. Conclusions Compliance of the Facebook pages of specialist orthodontic practices in Australia with legal and regulatory advertisement requirements is poor. Greater awareness of the relevant obligations by specialist orthodontists responsible for their practice Facebook content is necessary to ensure that their advertising is not liable to charges of legal and/or professional misconduct.
Highlights
Social media platforms are internet-based technologies that facilitate the sharing of information, opinions, products and services between people.[1,2] Social media websites such as Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram and YouTube have transformed how people communicate.[3]
Most pages were from practices based in New South Wales/ACT and Victoria (Figure 2)
The presented study appears to be the first to investigate the legal and regulatory advertising compliance of the Facebook pages of specialist orthodontic practices in Australia. The outcomes of this investigation are relevant as recent reseaOrcrhthohdaosntsichsoawndnFtahcaebtoFoakcebook is the most frequently used social media website of orthodontists and patients/guardians.[1]
Summary
Social media platforms are internet-based technologies that facilitate the sharing of information, opinions, products and services between people.[1,2] Social media websites such as Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram and YouTube have transformed how people communicate.[3]. Aim: To determine the legal and regulatory advertising compliance of the Facebook pages of specialist orthodontic practices in Australia. Methods: The Facebook pages of specialist orthodontic practices were identified following a systematic search strategy. Most Facebook pages (82.3%) breached the Law in one or more domains. Non-compliance regarding ‘the use of testimonials’ (76.9%) and ‘information that was likely to create unrealistic expectations of orthodontic treatment’ (40.8%) were the domains most commonly contravened. All five domains were breached in 5.4% of practice Facebook pages. Conclusions: Compliance of the Facebook pages of specialist orthodontic practices in Australia with legal and regulatory advertisement requirements is poor. Greater awareness of the relevant obligations by specialist orthodontists responsible for their practice Facebook content is necessary to ensure that their advertising is not liable to charges of legal and/or professional misconduct. Greater awareness of the relevant obligations by specialist orthodontists responsible for their practice Facebook content is necessary to ensure that their advertising is not liable to charges of legal and/or professional misconduct. (Aust Orthod J 2020; 36: 168-174)
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