The Role of Ethical Advertising of Fertility Services

Abstract

This lecture will highlight the following Health Care marketing is a big business. Approximately 1 billion USD are spending each year across USA. However, it is important to note that marketing and advertising of treatment modalities are here to stay and can be useful and productive. Health care marketing can help remove stigma of certain ailments like infertility, mental illness, HIV etc. Advertising of services can help to create awareness and offer treatment options. However overzealous advertising or mis information can create false hopes in patients, over treatment by health care professional often leading to abuse of certain treatment options and can put an inherently good treatment into disrepute. Hence Hospitals and clinics need to self-regulate themselves. It is often seen that corporate hospitals in particular tend to promote lucrative and profitable services more rather than day to day health care since that may not be profitable. Celebrity endorsements are also seen in fertility services through partnerships with health care companies. It is important that advertising should not only be for professional to seek new patients but should also offer unbiased recommendations and create social awareness of illness Hence it is important that ethical advertising of fertility services Maintain patient confidentiality and anonymity Make realistic claims and promises Develop policies for advertising We recommend in addition that for accreditation of services by regulatory bodies advertising protocols of clinics should also be scrutinized and be part of the checklist.