Medical Advice?
Medical Advice?
I was told off for reassuring someone that they would be fine because that's considered medical advice. Can I get clarification on what is medical advice? Because to me, telling someone they'll be fine is just telling them they'll be tough enough to handle it whatever it is. The word fine is already pretty vague and i've said similar things to people with non-physical illness without issue, so I'm confused to what terminology is considered off limits?
Re: Medical Advice?
Hello Terytha,
We'd be happy to provide a clarification! Here's the deal. People who are in a situation where they need medical attention or worry about needing medical attention are very vulnerable. For this reason we take the ban on medical advice very seriously and we have a strict interpretation of this rule. The issue with your post was that you presented an opinion or a reassurance as a statement of fact in conjunction to your own medical experience. As reassuring as providing a positive anecdote can be it is also important to not slip into a universalistic language. There are many ways to express an encouraging and reassuring sentiment without presenting these sentiments as a matter of fact. "I hope you'll get this sorted quickly and easily", "I think you're gonna be okay", "I hope you'll get to see the doctor soon and have good news" etc.
What we want to achieve with this rule is a community where we can support one another without giving false hope, or reassurances on things that we cannot know. Thank you for understanding.
We'd be happy to provide a clarification! Here's the deal. People who are in a situation where they need medical attention or worry about needing medical attention are very vulnerable. For this reason we take the ban on medical advice very seriously and we have a strict interpretation of this rule. The issue with your post was that you presented an opinion or a reassurance as a statement of fact in conjunction to your own medical experience. As reassuring as providing a positive anecdote can be it is also important to not slip into a universalistic language. There are many ways to express an encouraging and reassuring sentiment without presenting these sentiments as a matter of fact. "I hope you'll get this sorted quickly and easily", "I think you're gonna be okay", "I hope you'll get to see the doctor soon and have good news" etc.
What we want to achieve with this rule is a community where we can support one another without giving false hope, or reassurances on things that we cannot know. Thank you for understanding.