D4: UNETHICAL to Use Patient Pictures As Testimonials For Commercial Purposes Flashcards
Affirmative opening statement
Using patient media for commercial purposes causes more harm than good and is unethical.
Opposition opening statement
With consent, patient testimonials can ethically educate and promote care.
What are the 3 affirmative arguments?
- Healthcare should prioritize well-being, not profit
- Consent can be abused
- Ads create false expectations
What are the 3 opposition arguments?
- Educational purposes
- Patient testimonials are powerful for healthcare marketing
- Before/after photos show real treatment results
Evidence used for this affirmative argument:
Healthcare should prioritize well-being, not profit
• Commercial use shifts focus from healing to money
The purpose of healthcare should be improving patient’s wellbeing through:
- relieving symptoms
- fixing deformities
- improving quality of life
Evidence used for this affirmative argument:
Consent can be abused
• Taking advantage of financially challenged people
• Free treatment in exchange for photos can EXPLOIT patients
• “Medical Bankruptcy: Still Common Despite the ACA” → 66.5% bankruptcies linked to medical debt
[American Journal of Public Health]
Evidence used for this affirmative argument:
Ads create false expectations
• Clinics only post best results; this misleads patients. This is DECEPTION.
• “Direct-to-Consumer Ketamine Advertising” (JAMA Network) → Misleading claims about safety and efficacy AND downplayed risks
Evidence used for this opposition argument:
Educational purposes
• According to AMA : Visuals help learning—processed 60,000x faster than text
• “Visuals in Patient Education” (Virginia Creative Group) : enhances learning
• According to NIH : “Using Patient Images Ethically in Education” → Ethical with proper consent
Evidence used for this opposition argument:
Patient testimonials are powerful for healthcare marketing
• They build trust, highlight expertise, and help hesitant patients by showcasing real patient experiences
• “The Power of Patient Testimonials in Healthcare Marketing”: these testimonials educate potential patients and help them make an informed decision
Evidence for this opposition argument:
Before/after photos show real treatment results
• Orthodontist Dr. Yousef Khaja Opinion : He supports their use to reflect skills
Opposition rebuttals
• Finance is crucial to support clinics; showing results builds trust
• Informed consent exists—patients can decline
• Disclaimers prevent false expectations
• Success stories give hope without harm
DONT FORGET THIS LAW (175)
Which side used this to support their argument?
Opposition
Affirmative rebuttals
• The opposition’s first argument about the financial side of healthcare is not relevant to the ethical debate.
• Ethics is about benefit vs harm, and shifting the conversation to funding misses the core issue.
• Written testimonials can be used instead of photos/videos to protect privacy.
• Patients and the public can’t accurately assess medical skill from pictures.
• The use of visuals may create misleading perceptions about provider expertise.
PT Naif Alenezi’s opinion:
• Shared a real-life example showing that educational use of patient testimonials differs significantly from commercial use—further proving they shouldn’t be lumped together ethically.
• Doctors (like orthodontists) who support testimonials may have a bias because they benefit directly from them.
• Patients can be convinced to try treatments that aren’t even proven, especially if they’re desperate and misled by powerful visuals.
Affirmative closing statement
Patient well-being should come first. Commercial use of testimonials risks trust and professional integrity.
“The health and well-being of my patient will be my first consideration.” — WMA Declaration of Geneva
Opposition closing statement:
With clear consent and proper use, testimonials are ethical, legal, and beneficial to patients and providers.
Which side used Dr. Naif Alenezi’s opinion ?
Affirmative group
Which side used Dr. Yousef Khaja’s opinion ?
Opposition side
