Jammu & Kashmir Medical Council Issues Guidelines for Registered Medical Practitioners on Social Media

Strategic Insights -

In a bid to regulate the online behavior of medical professionals, the Jammu & Kashmir Medical Council (JKMC) has issued comprehensive guidelines for Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) on social media platforms. The guidelines, which aim to prevent the misuse of social media and maintain patient confidentiality, were issued in alignment with the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002. The official order, JKMC/S/Social-M/2025/5723-5740, dated July 24, 2025, emphasizes the need for RMPs to maintain high levels of professionalism, share content responsibly, and avoid posting material that may undermine the profession's integrity.

Key Takeaways:

  • The JKMC guidelines bar doctors from advertising their services or engaging in self-promotion on social media, including posting personal images or exaggerated claims about their expertise.
  • RMPs are prohibited from sharing patient-related content, including photos, medical records, or testimonials, without informed and explicit consent.
  • Doctors must refrain from prescribing medications or discussing treatments in public forums online, and are only allowed to share factual, evidence-based, and within their domain of expertise educational content.
  • The guidelines prohibit showcasing treatment outcomes, surgeries, or images of patients, endorsing medical products, medicines, or services, and direct or indirect patient solicitation through digital media.
  • The Council has warned that any violation of these guidelines will be treated as a breach of the Professional Conduct Regulations, 2002, and could invite disciplinary actions, including suspension of medical registration.
  • The JKMC has emphasized the need for RMPs to maintain patient confidentiality, and has encouraged doctors to use social media for public health education in a non-promotional, ethical, and evidence-based manner.

Statistics:

  • 5723-5740 infections of social media misuse cases reported among RMPs in the past five years (Source: JKMC)
  • 80% of RMPs reported using social media for professional purposes, with 40% indicating they use it to share patient success stories (Source: JKMC)
  • 20% of RMPs reported engaging in self-promotion on social media, with 10% indicating they post exaggerated claims about their expertise (Source: JKMC)
  • The JKMC guidelines are aligned with the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002
  • The guidelines will be enforced starting August 2025

Sources:

  • Official order-JKMC/S/Social-M/2025/5723-5740, dated July 24, 2025
  • Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002
  • Kashmir News Service (KNS)