Medical Advertising

Posted by Anthony Lee Jan 24, 2009

We all want to be healthy and have the best treatments available for any medical problem. However, it's often easy to believe the claims of an advertisement for a medical treatment without careful evaluation.

This happens a lot with the prescription drugs advertised on television and in print. There are other examples, though. Printed ads may claim benefits of certain complementary and alternative medicine therapies. A renowned physician may promote a new procedure or medical device that is not yet widely accepted.

If you ask your doctor about such advertised products or services, he or she might say that they're not proven. The reason is not to deny treatment. Rather, it's to make sure that you don't waste time and money on something that does not work and/or results in complications. That's why medicine is evidence-based. Studies have to demonstrate safety and efficacy of any new treatrment before it becomes standard of care.

So always be wary of advertisements for medical treatments. Don't be afraid to take a step back and evaluate them objectively.