What to put on a doctor’s digital card
- Qualifications and specialty Lets patients and referring doctors confirm your training and whether you are the right specialist for their problem.
- Registration number and council A factual detail patients can verify, and one that NMC conduct rules treat as appropriate professional information.
- Clinic locations with maps Many doctors consult at two or three places; a map link per location prevents patients reaching the wrong one.
- Consulting days and timings The question front-desk staff answer all day; putting it on the card reduces calls and missed visits.
- Appointment phone or WhatsApp Use the clinic or front-desk number so booking calls do not reach your personal phone during consultations.
- Languages spoken Helps patients who prefer consulting in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil or another language choose you with confidence.
- Hospital affiliations Patients and referring doctors want to know where you admit or operate, and naming the hospitals helps them plan tests, admissions and insurance paperwork in advance.
- Teleconsultation details If you offer video or phone consultations, say how to book them and which follow-ups suit them, so patients with stable conditions do not travel unnecessarily.
When to share it
- Displayed as a QR at the reception desk so patients save the appointment number and timings before leaving the OPD.
- Printed on the prescription pad footer, so follow-up visits and report reviews are booked with the correct details.
- Shared with general practitioners and colleagues who refer patients, giving them your locations and hours in one link.
- Handed out at medical camps and CME sessions where people need to know where and when you consult.
What to say when you send it
A card link on its own is easy to ignore. Add a line that reminds the person where you met and what to do next — for example:
Namaste, this is the clinic card for Dr. Kulkarni. Save it for timings and the front-desk number. For report reviews, please book a follow-up slot by WhatsApp. In an emergency, go to the nearest hospital casualty, not the clinic.
Where to put the QR code
- A framed QR at the reception desk, so patients can save the clinic number while they wait.
- The footer of printed prescriptions and lab requisition slips, where your clinic allows it.
- Referral letters to other doctors, so they can save your direct contact for follow-ups.
Mistakes to avoid
- Listing diseases as promises Lines like “complete cure for diabetes” are misleading and conflict with medical ethics. Name the conditions you manage in neutral words, such as “diabetes and thyroid care”, and let the consultation do the rest.
- Giving a personal number that rings at night If your personal mobile is on the card, expect late-night calls about non-urgent matters. Use the clinic line for appointments and state clearly where patients should go in an emergency.
- Forgetting to update consulting locations Patients sometimes travel to a clinic you stopped visiting months ago because an old card still lists it. Edit the card the same week your schedule changes, and say so on the clinic’s WhatsApp too.
Tips for a card that gets saved
- Keep the card strictly factual. Leave out patient reviews, star ratings, success rates and phrases such as “best specialist”, which conflict with professional-conduct rules on advertising.
- Put the front-desk or clinic number first and add a note on emergency care, so patients know to go to a hospital rather than wait for a reply.
- Review the card whenever you add or drop a consulting location, change OPD hours or go on leave, and add a short note for planned absences.