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the thin line between advice and info

by Neil12
7 replies
Hi everyone,
I wondered if anyone could help...

could someone explain the diference between giving medical advice and information when it comes to things like weight loss or acne prevention?

what are the dangers with entering a niche where you are not a medical professional, and certain countries may have differing laws or interpretations on the information being provided.

is there any golden rules to follow with this and has any one been caught out before and got into trouble.

I'm a bit confused as I wanted to start out in skin care but am now worried that i may overstep the line and say something I am not qulaified to say

thanks in advance

Neil
#advice #info #line #thin
  • Profile picture of the author mclauchlan
    Neil,

    Medilegal cases are a nightmare for qualified professionals, as for someone unqualified you leave yourself completely open to litigation and criminal proceedings.

    The best advice for keeping you the right side of the dock is not to give legal advice, medical advice unless you are a qualified professional.

    You can at the start of your articles add a general disclaimer ' this is not medical advice' which discredits any information you may suggest to your client.

    John
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    • Profile picture of the author Cataclysm1987
      Keep your articles vague and don't offer any extreme advice like "take this pill" or "cut off your right index finger".

      Provide disclaimers on your site and your articles that say I am not a medical professional.

      If giving health advice were illegal, then an entire niche in IM would die tomorrow.

      Just make sure anything you tell people to do is extremely low risk and doesn't involve anything that might hurt anyone.

      Ask yourself the question, what is the worst that could happen to someone if they tried this?

      If the worst thing is that they end up in the hospital, don't put it up on your website.

      If the worst thing is that their acne doesn't go away and they experience some mild skin irritation, there is no real damage to sue you over.

      Hope that helps you a little bit.
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      • Profile picture of the author JackBenson
        Actually I have been trying to figure out how its legal for Clickbank products to advertise themselves as cures for conditions, like infertility or yeast infections.

        Is it because they are "holistic" cures that they can get away with this? Or maybe there's no problem in the first place. I just always remember all the non FDA approved products that say something like "this product is not intended to diagnose, cure, treat etc... condition"
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  • Profile picture of the author Neil12
    hey everyone,

    thankyou for the advice... it does seem interesting from a human nature standpoint that despite putting a disclaimer on the page people still buy the product.

    in a way this may be the reaon that law of attraction products are so populara as it really comes down to the credulous nature of the individual and any attempt to sue on information provided in LoA would be prerposterous.

    perhaps this is why IM is such a big niche because people are too nervous about legal implications and stick to the fundamentals
    (by the way I love the IM niche and the information you guys give, so i in no way want to malign this critical niche)
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  • Profile picture of the author Jake Howard
    Just remember Neil12. If you listened to you lawyer everyday, you would never get out of bed!

    You need to be mindful of the legalities, but my motto is (without actually being advice) "just focus on doing the right thing, and you should be sweet".
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    www.inksigns.com.au
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  • Profile picture of the author MilesT
    Just get a lawyer, well worth it. Don't navigate this one on your own! You risk everything and the five hundred you'd spend on a carefully reviewed TOC by a competent attorney would be well worth it.
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  • Profile picture of the author good2go4
    I have written some of these semi-medical products but I always clearly state in my disclaimer (thanks to the advice of a paid lawyer) that I am not a medical professional, that the advice is based on research but that is all and that the reader should always seek medical/professional advice where applicable. I also never advise someone to stop taking prescribed medication and if mentioning alternative treatments always mention the contraindications and that the reader should always seek medical advice if they are taking prescribed medications for other health issues. I would be devastated if something happened to one of my readers - even by accident - so I always err on the side of advice as opposed to information.

    Good luck with your projects
    Lisa
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