Dermatology Internet Yellow Page advertising.
BACKGROUND
Patients may use Internet Yellow Pages to help select a physician.


OBJECTIVE
We sought to describe dermatology Internet Yellow Page advertising.


METHODS
Dermatology advertisements in Colorado, California, New York, and Texas at 3 Yellow Page World Wide Web sites were systematically examined.


RESULTS
Most advertisements (76%; 223/292) listed only one provider, 56 listed more than one provider, and 13 listed no practitioner names. Five advertisements listed provider names without any credentialing letters, 265 listed at least one doctor of medicine or osteopathy, and 9 listed only providers with other credentials (6 doctors of podiatric medicine and 3 registered nurses). Most advertisements (61%; 179/292) listed a doctor of medicine or osteopathy claiming board certification, 78% (139/179) in dermatology and 22% (40/179) in other medical specialties. Four (1%; 4/292) claims of board certification could not be verified (one each in dermatology, family practice, dermatologic/cosmetologic surgery, and laser surgery). Board certification could be verified for most doctors of medicine and osteopathy not advertising claims of board certification (68%; 41/60; 32 dermatology, 9 other specialties). A total of 50 advertisements (17%) contained unverifiable or no board certification information, and 47 (16%) listed a physician with verifiable board certification in a field other than dermatology.


CONCLUSIONS
All Internet Yellow Page World Wide Web sites and all US states were not examined.


CONCLUSIONS
Nonphysicians, physicians board certified in medical specialties other than dermatology, and individuals without verifiable board certification in any medical specialty are advertising in dermatology Internet Yellow Pages. Many board-certified dermatologists are not advertising this certification.
Francis
Shayla
S
Department of Dermatology, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Aurora, USA.
Kozak
Katarzyna Z
KZ
Heilig
Lauren
L
Lundahl
Kristy
K
Bowland
Terri
T
Hester
Eric
E
Best
Arthur
A
Dellavalle
Robert P
RP
D000329:Advertising / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003880:Dermatology; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States