Ethics of Hospital Advertising
Thursday, May 5th, 2005 at 5:37 pm
A recent article in the Archives of Internal Medicine raises questions about the ethics of hospital advertising. The study of 17 university medical centers reveals that certain direct-to-consumer advertising conceals risks and plays on fear, vanity or other emotions to attract patients. Even further, it suggests that some ads create a sense of need in otherwise healthy patients. Hospitals have watched from the sidelines as drug companies' advertising practices have taken the heat. Educated consumers are now setting their sights on holding hospitals accountable.
Source: Health Leaders
In my personal experience, overzealous hospital advertising creates unrealistic expectations in patients. Maybe I should send this article to my hospital's PR department.
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