Where to put a disclaimer on the forum

Started by fallen_angel, March 18, 2007, 06:36:28 PM

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fallen_angel

March 18, 2007, 06:36:28 PM
I run a support forum for a rare neurological condition. Members on the whole are very well behaved and just overjoyed to have found somewhere to talk to others with the condition (it's quite a rare condition and the only real way to make contact with other sufferers is on the web). I do have a bit of a problem with members emailing me and PMing me for advice though. I usually send a standard "forum staff aren't medically qualified and you should always seek advice from your own doctor, etc. etc." response to emails and PMs, but as always there are a small minority that just don't seem to get the message.

We have a lot of leaflets available on the condition on the main site, and all carry the disclaimer, "This leaflet is provided to assist sufferers to understand their condition, and not to offer medical advice. You should always consult your own doctor regarding treatment and medical advice. We do not endorse or recommend any products or treatments mentioned in this leaflet", but I'm wondering if I should put something similar on each page of the site, say in the footer (the footer's an include, so adding that in wouldn't be a great hassle).

On the site's contact form I've recently put a big red warning saying that we're not medically trained and can't offer medical advice, legal advice (we often get people contacting us with welfare benefits queries), and that we can't offer individual email support (not that it stops them though - grrr!). Although we have disclaimers on the leaflets, and in an announcement on the forum, I'm also thinking I need to have something on the forum as well. I'm thinking the news fader would probably be appropriate for a general reminder on not hassling the admins and mods with PMs, but I think we probably also need some sort of general disclaimer on there as well, possibly in the footer?

I'm just wondering if there are others running health related forums, and if so what sort of disclaimers they use/how to word it.
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mclane

#1
March 18, 2007, 06:54:06 PM
I don't claim to know the answer to your exact quandary... but I would look into this new mod. Updated registration agreement

PA

Niteblade

#2
March 19, 2007, 01:32:24 AM Last Edit: March 19, 2007, 01:36:35 AM by nite0859
Quote from: mclane on March 18, 2007, 06:54:06 PM
I don't claim to know the answer to your exact quandary... but I would look into this new mod. Updated registration agreement

PA

That would be my recommendation. I would even go so far as to post the updated registration agreement in a sticky, locked topic for review. As the admin, reference the post in your signature. And if you really want to cover your basis, save a carbon copy of your email correspondence (on your mail server) PROVING that you are not offering medical advice, and print out the emails on paper for safe keeping.

In this manner, the proof that YOU DID offer medical advice falls on the person attempting to sue. Document, document, document ...
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fallen_angel

#3
March 19, 2007, 04:45:50 PM
Thanks for the tips guys - useful stuff, and I'll check out that mod.
MasterWeb & the IB Geek Girls: Outback behind the bikesheds - talking geek
ecanus.net: smileys and *stuff*
-- "You don't need eyes to see - you need vision" ~ Maxi Jazz --

rhapdog

#4
March 19, 2007, 08:33:30 PM
I'm using a mod called Global Headers and Footers, and allows me to enter the Headers and Footers from a box within the admin control panel, so I don't have to be an expert on coding.  You can put php and html in the boxes as well, if you like.  It's much more versatile than the news fader, and less irritating, too.

fallen_angel

#5
March 20, 2007, 03:27:27 PM
I did try the global headers and footers mod, but it doesn't put the 'header' right up at the top of the page, which was where I wanted it, so I stuck to the old tried and tested method of sticking an include in just after the <body> tag for the header, and just before the </body> tag for the footer.

I'm thinking possibly that the best place for the disclaimer might be in the footer links, and using the 'updated registration agreement' mod that mclane suggested, along with putting an article in the newsletter I'm planning on sending out soon.
MasterWeb & the IB Geek Girls: Outback behind the bikesheds - talking geek
ecanus.net: smileys and *stuff*
-- "You don't need eyes to see - you need vision" ~ Maxi Jazz --

anunlike

#6
March 20, 2007, 07:15:11 PM Last Edit: March 20, 2007, 07:17:13 PM by anunlike
If it's that big of a deal, you could always manually put the disclaimer directly into index.template.php somewhere and could then add it to the header or footer. It would be on every page, then.
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