As more hospitals and health systems include physicians in marketing efforts, both parties must understand the ethical limits to their involvement in advertising to potential patients, according to American Medical News.
For example, before identifying a physician as a "pioneer" or "thought leader" in promotional materials, verify those claims with independent data, such as "Top Doctor" surveys, Monique A. Spillman, M.D., Ph.D, associate professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, wrote in amednews.
Moreover, consider how advertising will influence the public's perception of the medical profession and patient trust, as ethical promotion tactics still may be distasteful or offensive, Spillman noted.
Another consideration is whether physician involvement in hospital advertising will impair physicians' effectiveness in serving patients, by, for example, damaging their professional reputation, Griffin Trotter, M.D., professor at the Albert Gnaegi Center for Health Care Ethics at Saint Louis University wrote in amednews.
And while advertising doesn't require physician participation for success, Trotter notes casual involvement is fairly harmless, and therefore, shouldn't require legal or industry restrictions.
In addition to physician involvement, more hospital advertising campaigns are featuring celebrity spokespersons to boost their organization's image and patient volume, FierceHealthcare previously reported.
For more:
- here's the amednews article