The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and led by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, UPMC and Indiana School of Medicine in Indianapolis, examined 409 clinical advertisements from 102 cancer centers in 2012. The direct-to-consumer ads were placed in top media markets, but did not include those on the Internet.
Researchers measured the types of clinical services promoted, information provided about those services and use of emotional appeals and patient testimonials. Below are their main findings.
• Advertisements promoted treatments (88 percent) more often than screening (18 percent) or supportive services (13 percent).
• The benefits of those advertised therapies were described more often than the risks (27 percent versus 2 percent), but benefits were quantified in 2 percent of the ads.
• Five percent of ads mentioned coverage or costs. None mentioned specific insurance plans.
• Most ads contained emotional appeals (85 percent) or evoked hope for survival (61 percent). Forty-one percent of ads described cancer treatment as a fight or battle, while 30 percent induced fear.
• About one half of cancer center ads included patient testimonials. These testimonials were usually focused on survival, rarely included disclaimers (15 percent) and never described the results that a typical patient may expect.
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