How should a clinic's social media team reply to medical questions in comments and DMs?

Patients often ask detailed medical questions in public: a photo of a rash under a dermatology post, "is this tooth pain serious?", "can I take this medicine during pregnancy?". A well-meaning reply from a social media manager can do real harm, both to the patient and to the clinic, if it amounts to medical advice from someone unqualified, or if it discusses a patient's condition in public. Confidentiality and professional standards apply online as much as in the consulting room.

So the rules need to be agreed in advance and followed every time. The team can answer administrative questions directly: timings, location, parking, which specialist sees which conditions, whether appointments are needed, how to book, and general information that the clinic has already published. Anything about a person's symptoms, diagnosis, test results, medication or treatment plan should get a polite, standard reply: thank them, avoid commenting on the specifics, and invite them to book or speak privately with the doctor, ideally by phone or a booking link. Never ask patients to share medical details in public comments.

Write these rules into the reply guide with examples, name the person at the clinic who handles medical escalations, and agree how quickly they will respond. Hide comments that disclose sensitive medical information about the commenter or anyone else, and explain why by private message. Be careful with before-and-after content and claims in replies, since health advertising is restricted on the platforms. In our community management work, anything medical goes straight to a named clinician on WhatsApp with the thread attached, and we tell the patient honestly that the right person will reply.