AES-POL-002: Advertising and claims review

Policy · AES-POL-002 · Version 1.0 · Approved by the ASF Expert Committee

Supports: 32.5

At a glance

Every claim is supported by evidence on file before it is published.
No before-and-after image or result is shown without the patient’s consent and a typical-result statement.
Prices and packages match the current fee list.
Each claim and its evidence is logged for review (AES-REG-002).
Stop and get help straight away if: a claim of permanent or guaranteed results is published with no evidence on file.

1. Purpose

To make sure advertising and claims about aesthetic procedures are accurate, evidenced and not misleading (32.5).

2. Scope

Applies to	Clinical and support staff in the hospital
Locations	All wards, clinics and departments of the facility
When	Whenever the activity described is carried out
Does not apply to	Activities covered by another document listed in section 15

3. Definitions

Term	Meaning
Clinical lead	The doctor or nurse in charge of the area at the time

4. Background

Aesthetic clinics often advertise results, prices and credentials that are not true. Before-and-after photos taken without the patient’s written permission are a privacy breach. Accurate claims protect the patient from being misled.

5. Responsibilities

Role	Responsibility	Competence
Clinic manager	Keeps the claims log and the evidence file	Clinical director
Clinical director	Approves each claim before publication	Medical director

6. Materials and equipment

Item	Requirement	Condition
Records and forms named in this document	Current version	Checked before use

7. Safety

Stop and call for help if a patient is at immediate risk. Do not delay urgent care to complete paperwork.

8. Before you start

Confirm the forms and equipment named in this document are available and current.

9. Procedure

Step 1. Propose.

Write the claim and its evidence on the log (AES-REG-002).

Key point: Proposed.

Step 2. Approve.

The clinical director approves or rejects the claim before it is published.

Key point: Approved.

Step 3. Check the price.

Check each published price against the current fee list.

Key point: Checked.

10. Decision points

No decision points in this procedure.

11. Special situations

Situation	Action
Out of hours	Follow the same steps. Use the on-call contact on the wall of the area.

12. Escalation

Any serious problem goes to the duty clinical lead at once and to the clinical director the same day.

13. Monitoring

Measure	Target	Frequency	Owner	If not met
Published claims with evidence on file	100%	Quarterly	Clinic manager	Withdraw the claim and escalate to the clinical director

14. Records

Record	Kept in	Retention
Record named in this document	Patient record or the area file	the period set by the facility’s records policy years

15. Training

Staff are trained in this document at induction and refreshed each year, with a recorded competency check.

16. Related documents

ID	Title	Use
AES-REG-002	Advertising and claims review log	Register

17. Evidence

Reference	Note
E-009	Based on the WHO guidance on patient rights and informed consent, the WHO Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030, the American Dental Association guidelines on sedation and general anaesthesia (2016) for the sedation principles adapted to aesthetic practice, and the American Heart Association guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (2020).
E-006	ASF Policy Framework v1.2. Adapted.
E-009	ASF Expert Committee consensus.

18. Change history

Version	Date	What changed	Approval
1.0	the date of approval	First version	set Expert Committee approval

E-learning for this document

Aesthetic & Injectable Medicine Accreditation (AMB-09)

References

Accréditation Sans Frontières (2026). ASF Policy Framework v1.2. (E-006)
Accréditation Sans Frontières (2026). ASF Expert Committee consensus on Standard 1. (E-009)

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