title: A content analysis of direct-to-consumer television prescription drug advertisements.
abstract: This article reports the results of a content analysis of 23 direct-to-consumer (DTC) product-specific television prescription drug advertisements broadcast during 2001. A majority of ads used both medical and lay terms to convey medical ideas. Most gave consumers somewhat more time to absorb facts about benefits than those about risks, which could have implications for the "fair balance" requirement. Complete references to additional product information were given only in text, casting doubt on whether these ads are making"adequate provision"for dissemination of detailed product information. Overall, our results call into question the potential of these ads to educate consumers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Society, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115-6084, USA. kimberly_kaphingst@dfci.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kaphingst
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: DeJong
authors.forename: Rima E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Rudd
authors.forename: Lawren H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Daltroy
mesh_terms: D000329:Advertising / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D012306:Risk; D013690:Television / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States