Advertising, Recordkeeping, Informed Consent, and Patient Rights
Advertising
Alabama restricts false, deceptive, or misleading advertising. Claims must be truthful and not create unjustified expectations of cure. Testimonials and superlatives are risky where they imply guaranteed results. Advertising must identify the licensee accurately and must not suggest credentials the chiropractor does not hold. Comparative claims about other providers are a frequent trap.
Recordkeeping
Patient records must be legible, contemporaneous, and sufficient to justify the care rendered. Expect questions on retention periods, which the Board sets by rule, and on the content of a proper record: history, examination findings, diagnosis, treatment plan, progress notes, and informed consent documentation. Records are confidential but must be released on valid patient authorization, subpoena, or as otherwise required by law.
Informed consent and patient rights
Informed consent requires disclosure of the nature of the proposed care, its risks and benefits, and reasonable alternatives, including the option of no treatment, documented in the record. Patients have rights to privacy, access to their records, and to refuse or withdraw from care.
Traps to watch
- Assuming verbal consent is always sufficient; documentation is what examiners test.
- Confusing confidentiality with absolute privilege. Statutory exceptions exist.
- Advertising items that sound merely enthusiastic but in fact promise outcomes.
Rule of thumb
If it is not in the record, treat it as not done. Apply that to consent, to the treatment plan, and to any patient instruction.