Essential compliance requirements for Australian medical practices managing patient reviews and online reputation.
Australian medical practices must navigate strict regulatory frameworks when managing patient reviews and online reputation. AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) and RACGP (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners) have established clear guidelines that practices must follow to maintain professional standards and protect patient privacy while engaging with online feedback.
AHPRA's Code of Conduct for Registered Medical Practitioners sets out explicit requirements for how doctors and medical practices should handle patient reviews and online reputation management. These guidelines aren't optional—they're mandatory compliance standards that protect both patients and practitioners.
The core principle is straightforward: medical professionals must maintain patient confidentiality at all times, even when responding to negative reviews. This means you cannot disclose specific patient information, medical history, or details about treatment in your responses—regardless of how inaccurate a review might be.
AHPRA also expects practitioners to:
According to AHPRA's 2024-2025 annual report, complaints about unprofessional conduct on social media and review platforms increased by 23% year-on-year. Many of these complaints stemmed from inappropriate responses to patient feedback rather than the original complaints themselves.
While AHPRA sets the regulatory baseline, RACGP (which represents general practitioners) provides more specific guidance tailored to GP practices. RACGP's standards are often more stringent than AHPRA's minimum requirements.
RACGP's position on review management emphasises:
Transparency and honesty – Any response to reviews must be truthful and not misleading about services, qualifications, or outcomes.
Patient-centred approach – Reviews should be seen as feedback opportunities to improve practice quality, not threats to be managed.
Professional boundaries – GPs should not use review platforms for marketing purposes or to solicit positive reviews from patients.
Documented systems – Practices should have formal processes for monitoring, responding to, and learning from patient feedback.
RACGP's 2025 Standards for General Practice specifically states that practices should have a written policy for managing online reputation and patient reviews. This isn't just best practice—it's now an accreditation requirement for many practice recognition schemes.
A key difference: RACGP expects practices to actively monitor their online presence, whereas AHPRA's requirements are more reactive. This means compliant practices need systems in place before problems occur.
As we move into 2026, several compliance requirements have become clearer and more enforceable:
Practices must respond to reviews within a reasonable timeframe—generally within 7-14 days. Silence is no longer acceptable. However, responses must follow strict guidelines:
Review management must align with Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) and the Privacy Act 1988. This means:
AHPRA and RACGP expect practices to maintain records showing:
This documentation becomes crucial if complaints arise. A Sydney GP practice was investigated by AHPRA in 2024 after failing to document their review management process—the lack of records made their situation worse, even though their responses were appropriate.
Not just doctors need training—receptionists, practice managers, and administrative staff who might respond to reviews also need to understand compliance requirements. RACGP recommends annual training updates.
Practices cannot:
Violations can result in AHPRA investigations and professional misconduct findings.
Non-compliance carries serious consequences:
Professional conduct investigations – AHPRA can investigate complaints about inappropriate review responses, potentially leading to formal warnings or conditions on registration.
Accreditation impacts – RACGP-accredited practices that don't meet standards may lose accreditation status, affecting patient trust and referral patterns.
Reputational damage – Patients and other healthcare providers notice when practices handle feedback poorly. One poorly managed review response can generate additional negative reviews.
Legal exposure – While rare, practices could face defamation claims if responses contain false statements about patients.
A Melbourne medical practice learned this the hard way in 2023 when a doctor responded to a negative review with detailed medical information about the patient. AHPRA investigated, finding multiple breaches of the Code of Conduct. The practice faced a formal warning and required mandatory training.
Successful compliance requires a structured approach:
Review all existing responses across platforms (Google, Healthgrades, Practo, etc.). Identify any responses that breach confidentiality or appear unprofessional. Document these for internal improvement purposes.
Create a formal review management policy covering:
Use tools to track reviews across all platforms in one place. Manual monitoring across multiple sites increases the risk of missed reviews and inconsistent responses.
Ensure all staff understand:
Develop templates for common scenarios (positive reviews, complaints about wait times, clinical concerns, etc.). Templates ensure consistency and help staff avoid inappropriate language.
Example template for negative reviews:
"Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're sorry to hear you had a less than ideal experience. We'd like to understand more about your concerns so we can improve. Please contact our practice manager on [number] to discuss this further."
Quarterly review your review management practices. AHPRA guidelines continue to evolve, and your processes should reflect current standards.
Medical practices face stricter requirements than most other Australian businesses because patient safety and confidentiality are paramount. You cannot simply respond to reviews the way a restaurant or retail business might.
The medical context means:
A dentist in Brisbane attempted to respond to a negative review by explaining the clinical reasoning behind their treatment. While the explanation was accurate, AHPRA found it problematic because it effectively confirmed the patient's identity and disclosed treatment details. The dentist faced a formal warning.
Medical practices must treat review management as a compliance matter, not a marketing opportunity. The regulatory environment has become more sophisticated, with AHPRA and RACGP actively monitoring online conduct.
Compliance requires:
Practices that implement these systems early gain a significant advantage. They avoid regulatory investigations, maintain professional reputation, and demonstrate to patients that feedback is valued and handled appropriately.
The investment in proper review management systems now prevents far more costly investigations and reputational damage later.
AHPRA requires medical practitioners to respond professionally without disclosing patient information, medical history, or treatment details. You must maintain confidentiality even when reviews are inaccurate, avoid defensive language, and keep all communications dignified and respectful. Non-compliance can result in regulatory complaints.
No. AHPRA's Code of Conduct strictly prohibits disclosing any patient information in review responses, regardless of circumstances. This includes specific medical details, treatment history, or identifying information. Patient confidentiality must be maintained at all times, even to correct false claims.
Complaints about unprofessional conduct on social media and review platforms increased 23% year-on-year. Most stemmed from inappropriate responses to patient feedback rather than original complaints. Practices must train staff on compliant review management to avoid regulatory issues.
Medical practices must respond to all reviews professionally and respectfully while maintaining patient confidentiality. Never engage in personal attacks, avoid misleading claims or advertising, and ensure responses comply with AHPRA and RACGP guidelines. Document all responses for compliance purposes.
AHPRA sets mandatory baseline regulatory standards for all registered medical practitioners. RACGP provides more specific guidance tailored to general practitioners. Both require professional, confidential responses to reviews, but RACGP offers additional best-practice recommendations for GP-specific compliance.
Violations can result in regulatory complaints, investigations, and potential disciplinary action. AHPRA monitors social media and review platform conduct. Serious breaches may affect professional registration. Medical practices should implement compliance training and review protocols to prevent violations.
Yes, AHPRA expects practitioners to respond professionally to all reviews, both positive and negative. Ignoring reviews or selective responses may suggest unprofessional conduct. Responses must maintain confidentiality, avoid defensive language, and uphold professional dignity standards.
Patient Review Platforms: Which Matter Most for Australian Doctors? For Australian doctors, 73% of patients check online reviews before selecting a new...
Financial Advisor Reviews: Compliance & Best Practices Financial advisors in Australia must comply with ASIC's advertising standards when requesting and...
Multi-Site Review Management: Franchise Reputation Strategy 2026 Managing your franchise's reputation across multiple locations requires a centralised...
Join hundreds of Australian businesses automating their review management with AI
Learn More