Utah

Healthcare PR and marketing appears to be governed by few laws in Utah where, like many other states, physicians must not engage in false, misleading, deceptive, or fraudulent communication. The intent of the practitioner doesn’t appear to enter into the determination of whether the law was broken, so even the most upstanding Utah physicians should be particularly careful about the “honest mistake.” As always, be sure to discuss your marketing plans and have your marketing materials reviewed by legal counsel to make sure your practice is complying with all relevant laws.

More Information

Oversight Body:
Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing

Reference Citation:
U.C.A. 1953 § 58-1-501

Selected Excerpt:
Unlawful and unprofessional conduct
(…)

(2) “Unprofessional conduct” means conduct, by a licensee or applicant, that is defined as unprofessional conduct under this title or under any rule adopted under this title and includes: (…)

  • (h) practicing or attempting to practice an occupation or profession requiring licensure under this title by any form of action or communication which is false, misleading, deceptive, or fraudulent

Sample Best Practices

We’ve developed some sample best practices to help you get started discussing your medical marketing with your legal counsel in more detail. Find out if you need to take steps to avoid the following:

  • Engaging in false, misleading, deceptive, or fraudulent advertising.
  • 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 Checklist

Please help us keep these pages up to date. If you or your legal counsel notice an oversight in our comments or a problem with this page, please alert us by email. Also, be sure to read our legal disclaimer.

« Back to Medical Marketing Laws


Sign up for our newsletter to have these articles emailed to you.

Leave a Comment

Fields marked with * are required.

What happens when the best photo gallery in the business meets AI? First Draft for Curator B&A generates SEO-optimized case descriptions for next-level gallery visibility and performance.