Why is a Disclaimer for Health and Wellness Professionals Important?

The online world of health and wellness is absolutely BOOMING.  Personalized online fitness coaches, at home workout subscription services (like Peloton), virtual fitness classes, and on and on have begun to dominate the health and wellness industry.  With Covid-19 forcing the world to take a good hard look at how and when they exercise, the benefit of having a coach or professional that can adapt and motivate clients without the need to be physically present, became invaluable.

People love having the ability to be able to take care of themselves how and WHEN they want to, which makes the online fitness and wellness world a massively growing industry.  If you’re a health and wellness professional, you know that your website is your main source of marketing, client connection, and the easiest way to distribute information to clients on a large scale. Which means that you need to MAKE SURE that your website’s legal booty is 100% covered!

The online world has a unique set of legal rules to follow, but there are especially important disclaimers and legal boundaries you need to make sure you set in the online health and wellness industry. Which is why we’re going to be talking all about website disclaimers for health and wellness professionals, which are one of the easiest and most effective ways to communicate your legal boundaries with your clients and possibly prevent any future mishaps.

The Online Health and Wellness Industry

As Covid-19 hit and the world ground to a halt with stay at home orders, the importance of physical and mental fitness became incredibly clear and the online world of health and wellness grew larger than ever before. As people worked from home in unprecedented numbers, more people began to adopt practices involving virtual health and wellness into their lives. Which isn't a trend I predict stopping anytime soon. Having the ability to choose when, where and how you work on your mental and physical health from the comfort of your home is a HUGE convenience that I think people are going to continue to take advantage of.

As this industry continues to grow it’s so important that you stay on top of the legal backend work to protect your business. I know that’s not the most fun thing to think about, but I promise it’ll save you from some potential issues in the future. If you work in this industry you know that there are certain standards and certifications you need to maintain to legally protect yourself and your clients and it’s just as important in the online world to communicate those things to your clients.

What’s A Website Disclaimer and Why Do I Need It?

Having a website as a business owner opens you up to lots of marketing opportunities but also lots of potential risk. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) specifically regulates online business practices, acting as the nation’s consumer protection agency to protect consumers from fraud, deception, and unfair business practices in the marketplace.  If you work in an industry that requires specific licenses and certifications (like the health and wellness industry does) this is SO important for you. Having the proper disclosures and terms of use on your website is crucial to informing your visitors and saving you from lots of legal headaches in the long run.

A website disclaimer is a statement that you give to anyone who visits your website in order to disclaim yourself from some form of liability. The information in your disclaimer can vary from the purpose of your site, the information it contains, ownership of that information, use of any information collected, anything that is needed to inform your viewers of the legal limitations and to follow guidelines set up by agencies like the FTC. A disclaimer’s purpose is to prevent any future legal battles regarding the content of your website by disclaiming that information ahead of time.

What Should My Disclaimer Say?

Overall a disclaimer should outline the risks that consumers take when visiting your website and consuming your content, any guarantees that you make, or potentially limit any associations that you may have with someone or something else. These things are particularly important to keep in mind when you work in the health and wellness industry, because oftentimes you are recommending certain practices to someone or teaming up with a partner or supplement brand. Outline the relationship that your website does or does not create between your and your customer, and what this means should they buy your product or follow your program.

Another important thing to consider is where your disclaimer is located on your website. The most effective disclaimers are a portal that your customer must go through to access your website. This ensures that the customer has to take notice of your disclaimer in some capacity. Other websites have their disclaimer posted at the bottom of the main landing page or as a separate link that customers can click into. Decide what works best for you and your business.

The health and wellness industry is changing all the time. A website disclaimer can help address this too! A disclaimer can let your customers know that your information, product recommendations, and methods can change at any time, with or without notice being sent to them. It lets your customers know that when they consume the information on your site, they are doing so at their own risk. 

While it can be scary to think about what specific legal terms you need to disclaim on your website, don’t worry The Legal Paige has you covered!  I have a FREE disclaimer for you here:

THIS BLOG POST IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL ADVICE. EVERY SITUATION IS DIFFERENT & IS FACT-SPECIFIC. A proper legal analysis is necessary based on your location and contract. Consult an attorney in your home state for advice regarding your contract or specific legal situation.

See our full disclaimer here.