Indiana’s medical advertising rules identify false or misleading advertising as a potential basis for disciplinary sanctions. Medical practices should review website copy, digital ads, and other patient-facing content carefully to help ensure claims are accurate, clear, and not likely to mislead patients.
Medical marketing rules can vary by state, provider type, and service. For a full assessment of the statutes and regulations that apply to your website, advertising, and patient communications, consult with legal counsel familiar with your practice and market.
More Information
Oversight Body: Medical Licensing Board of Indiana
Reference Citation:
IC 25-1-9-4
Selected Excerpt:
IC 25-1-9-4 Standards of professional practice; findings required for sanctions; evidence of foreign discipline
Sec. 4. (a) A practitioner shall conduct the practitioner’s practice in accordance with the standards established by the board regulating the profession in question and is subject to the exercise of the disciplinary sanctions under section 9 of this chapter if, after a hearing, the board finds:
- (1) a practitioner has: (…)
- (C) advertised services in a false or misleading manner
What This Means for Indiana Medical Practices
Indiana medical practices should avoid advertising that could be interpreted as false or misleading. Marketing claims should be clear, accurate, and supportable, especially when discussing treatment outcomes, provider qualifications, patient results, or the expected value of a service.
For elective healthcare practices, this applies across the full digital presence, including website copy, paid ads, social media content, email campaigns, landing pages, and before-and-after galleries. Practices should also review language around results, patient photos, model imagery, credentials, board certification, and professional superiority claims with legal counsel.
Sample Best Practices
Use the following sample best practices as a starting point for discussion with your legal counsel. Find out if you need to take steps to avoid the following:
- Advertising in a false or misleading manner.
- Making scientific claims that cannot be substantiated.
- Assuring a permanent cure for an incurable disease.
- Claiming professional superiority without supporting the claim with objective evidence, or using hyperbole when describing your techniques or results.
- Showing patient before and after photos without indicating that results vary and the results shown are not a guarantee.
- Showing models without clearly indicating that the photos are not of actual patients.
- Saying you are board-certified without including in any advertising the name of the board that has certified you.
Is your website following best practices when it comes to medical marketing? Find out by downloading our free Website Compliance Checklist!
Download Free ChecklistMarket Your Indiana Practice With More Confidence
Medical marketing requires more than strong messaging. Your website, ads, social media, email campaigns, landing pages, and patient-facing content should also be reviewed with accuracy, clarity, and compliance awareness in mind.
Etna Interactive helps medical and aesthetic practices create digital marketing strategies that support visibility, patient trust, and practice growth. To learn more about how our team can support your marketing efforts, reach out to learn more or request a consultation with one of our experts.
This post was originally published in March 2013 and has been updated for 2026.
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