NMC bars hosps from using AI for promos Move Aimed To Protect Patients From Misleading Claims

NMC bars hosps from using AI for promos Move Aimed To Protect Patients From Misleading Claims 

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesofindia.com 08.10.2026

New Delhi: Doctors and hospitals cannot use AI to create patient testimonials, clinical outcomes or promotional content, nor can they pay to manipulate rankings like those on search engines and apps, under new ethical advertising guidelines issued by National Medical Commission (NMC) on Tuesday. 

The guidelines, effective immediately, come in the backdrop of a Supreme Court petition seeking tighter regulation of corporate hospital advertising. They aim to curb commercialisation of medical practice and protect patients from misleading claims, while bringing AI-generated content, influencer marketing and search-engine manipulation under the medical ethics framework. 

NMC has specifically barred registered medical practitioners (RMPs) and hospitals from using AI-generated or AI-assisted content to advertise their services, solicit patients or disseminate misleading or unverifiable information about diagnoses, treatments or outcomes. 

AI cannot be used to create synthetic patient testimonials, voices, clinical outcomes or fake endorsements, or misrepresent the nature or quality of medical services. In another significant provision, doctors cannot pay for or manipulate search rankings, visibility or algorithms to create a misleading impression of their professional standing. They also cannot make unverified claims such as “best”, “number one”, “most trusted”, “guaranteed cures” or “100% success”. The guidelines also target the growing use of influencers and digital marketing agencies in healthcare. Doctors cannot engage influencers, advertising agencies or online platforms in arrangements involving payment linked to procuring or referring patients. Discounts and inducements are also restricted. Doctors and hospitals cannot offer limited-period discounts, coupons, gift packages or referral benefits if these are likely to encourage unnecessary consultations, diagnostic investigations or treatment. 

However, NMC allows doctors to use social media for factual, non-promotional health education, disease information and public-health communication, provided they do not promote their practice or commercial interests. Hospitals can similarly share objective, verifiable details about their location, departments, facilities, services, accreditation, charges and contact information. Patient testimonials, before-and-after images and treatment-success claims that could create unrealistic expectations or mislead are also prohibited. NMC has prescribed graded penalties, from a warning and mandatory ethics training for a first violation to censure and monetary penalty for a second, suspension for three to six months for a third, and six to 12 months for serious violations. Repeated violations can lead to removal from the medical register for one to three years