The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has issued social media advertising standards requiring licensed healthcare professionals to maintain separate personal and professional accounts when using social media for medical communication or advertising.

The guidelines also advise doctors and other healthcare professionals not to interact with current or former patients through their personal accounts. Visiting healthcare professionals providing services at DHA-licensed facilities are similarly expected to maintain separate professional accounts.

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Under the standards, healthcare professionals must use the name, professional title, qualifications and speciality listed on their DHA licence. Titles or descriptions that are not officially recognised are not permitted, while the prefix “Dr.” is restricted to physicians, dentists and recognised PhD holders.

Medical information shared online must be accurate, current, concise and supported by recognised scientific evidence. Professionals should distinguish between evidence-based information, expert consensus, professional experience and personal opinion, while disclosing relevant conflicts of interest.

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The DHA also places strong emphasis on patient confidentiality. Healthcare professionals must obtain appropriate consent before sharing health-related information and take steps to prevent patients from being identified.

The standards further prohibit misleading, deceptive or fear-based medical advertising and content that exploits patients’ vulnerabilities or creates unnecessary demand for treatments or services.