If you are a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, registered dietitian, therapist, or chiropractor, it is critical to protect your medical or health-related license.
If you have a license in the healing arts, nursing, or medical fields, you are obligated to practice according to the clinically accepted standards of your state licensing board. Depending on the state, it is possible for another professional or lay member of the public to report that you are not practicing according to those standards.
If that happens, your clinical practice will be investigated by the licensing board, potentially leading to costly legal bills and even the loss of your license to practice.
Here are the three key steps I use to protect myself so that if I ever have to face an audit of my clinical practice, it would meet community standards.
- Include a disclaimer in your presentations and on your website that states that the information is educational only and is not intended to treat, prevent, or diagnose disease. The disclaimer I use is “The FDA has not evaluated the statements or claims made in this presentation. This is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease and does not replace an evaluation by a qualified medical professional. This is educational only.” Have your attorney review and approve the specific disclaimer language that you use.
- Advise your patients that you are using an alternative to FDA-approved treatments to improve cellular function. I focus on dietary and lifestyle guidance and advanced nutritional monitoring to improve cellular function and physiology that is science-based, has not been evaluated by the FDA, and is an alternative to FDA-approved treatments. I offer to refer the patient to a different medical group if they want to use FDA-approved treatments for their health concerns.
- Advertising events or services that are not FDA-approved has become increasingly challenging in social media and online spaces. The approach that I have used successfully is to focus on reviewing the latest science in areas of interest. In my case, I provide education about the latest science in the gut-brain-immune axis, or the latest in dietary intervention research. Another successful strategy that I have used is to focus on wellness strategies for patients with the diseases of interest, such as multiple sclerosis patients.
Are you promoting your business or practice within community standards?
We can all agree that you want what is best for your patients and clients, but messaging can become damaging to your reputation and your license if done incorrectly.
It’s important to be a part of a community that is sharing experiences—both good and bad—so that we can learn from one another and continue creating an epidemic of health.
Between our facebook group, monthly calls, and live events, the Wahls Practitioner community works hard to keep each other informed and compliant in this difficult landscape.
Apply and enroll today to be a part of this community. Not only will you be at the forefront of emerging research and science to help your patients, but you’ll also be a part of a wellness mastermind that looks out for one another.
There is still time to enroll and complete the virtual fall/winter term (term ends on Feb. 29), you can join the waitlist for the next virtual term (TBD in the Spring) or join me and hundreds of other Wahls Warriors for the live training in July!
I am offering a reduced application fee once again. Use the promo code VIP when submitting your application and pay only $1 to apply.
Learn more about the course and investment at terrywahls.com/certification or email my Director of Certification, Lisa Lovely at certification@terrywahls.com
Interested in learning more about my Wahls Protocol Health Practitioner Certification Training?
Visit Terrywahls.com/certification to learn more about my virtual and in-person training opportunities.
About Dr. Terry Wahls:
Dr. Terry Wahls is an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner and a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa where she conducts clinical trials. In addition, she has secondary appointments in the departments of neurology and epidemiology. In 2018 she was awarded the Institute for Functional Medicine’s Linus Pauling Award for her contributions in research, clinical care and patient advocacy. She is also a patient with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, which confined her to a tilt-recline wheelchair for four years. Dr. Wahls restored her health using a diet and lifestyle program she designed specifically for her brain and now pedals her bike to work each day. She is the author of The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine, The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles (paperback), and the cookbook The Wahls Protocol Cooking for Life: The Revolutionary Modern Paleo Plan to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions.
She conducts clinical trials that test the effect of nutrition and lifestyle interventions to treat MS and other progressive health problems. She also teaches the public and medical community about the healing power of the Paleo diet and therapeutic lifestyle changes that restore health and vitality to our citizens. She hosts a Wahls Protocol Seminar every summer where anyone can learn how to implement the Protocol with ease and success. Follow her on Instagram drterrywahls, and on Facebook/Twitter at @TerryWahls. Learn more about her MS clinical trials by reaching out to her team: MSDietStudy@healthcare.uiowa.edu. Pick up a copies of her research papers at https://terrywahls.com/researchpapers/.
