When Madison Avenue Meets Modern Medicine, Buyer Beware

“If it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t.”

Witness the example of disgraced financier Bernard Madoff, sentenced to 150 years in prison for fraud. Seeking a risk-free road to easy riches, investors threw due diligence aside and relied on Madoff’s reputation for delivering positive returns regardless of market conditions. Finally, the bottom fell out and the rest is history.

The “too good to be true” scenario presents itself repeatedly in everyday life, especially when it comes to advertising. While the promise of whiter laundry is relatively benign, the term “buyer beware” takes on new significance when Madison Avenue begins a direct-to-consumer campaign promoting cosmetic and medical services.

A 2003 study commissioned by the Kaiser Family Foundation, an independent national health philanthropy, demonstrates the power of medical advertising. Researchers found that “nearly a third (30%) of adults say they have talked to their doctor about a drug they saw advertised, and 44% of those who talked to their doctor received a prescription for the medication they asked about.”

The proliferation of cosmetic and medical services advertising on TV and the Internet has caused a disturbing trend – the normal doctor-patient relationship is being short-circuited.

Traditionally, a patient would see a physician and ask for help with a specific problem, like facial wrinkles, sagging skin, or droopy eyelids. The doctor would then examine the patient, evaluate the request, and develop a treatment plan both safe and effective. It was the doctor’s ethical responsibility to always put the patient’s safety and welfare first.

Today, there is a real danger that patients seeking cosmetic surgery and services may think that they are signing up for a risk-free, no down-time, guaranteed commodity. The Internet is full of enticements that encourage this impression and there is a real risk that patients won’t take their treatment seriously.

Madison Avenue has done a great job selling the benefits of cosmetic procedures and services. And, with today’s modern techniques, they can offer life enhancing improvement. But, the sales pitch is only half the story. Before making any significant medical decision, the importance of due diligence can’t be overstated. Research your doctor, listen to what he or she says, and ask questions. Take enough time off from work and exercise to fully recover. And remember, even safe procedures have some risk.