Advertising and the medical profession: An exploratory study

Abstract

Practitioners in the legal, accounting, architectural, and medical professions are showing an increasing interest in marketing - particularly in advertising. Some professions such as accounting have already reached finality on whether advertising should be permitted. The medical profession has not given this matter any serious thought and this exploratory study aims to provide some early guidelines by analysing the perceptions of medical practitioners and in particular, the possible implications of lifting advertising restrictions. The empirical results indicate that physicians realise that patients often do not have adequate information at their disposal before choosing the practitioner of their choice. They do not seem to believe, however, that advertising is a means of overcoming this problem. Specifically, older and more experienced physicians feel that advertising will benefit neither the profession nor the public. It is surmised that the status quo will be maintained for the short and medium term.

Opsomming
Lede van die regs-, rekenkundige-, argiteks- en mediese professies toon toenemend belangstelling in bemarkingspraktyke - veral ten opsigte van reklame. Sommige professies soos die rekenkundiges, het reeds die vraagstuk van beperkings op reklame bevredigend aangespreek. Die mediese beroep het die aangeleentheid nog nie ondersoek nie en die verkennende studie is 'n poging om tentatiewe riglyne in die verband vas te lê. Die primere doelwit was om te bepaal wat mediese praktisyns se persepsies ten opsigte van die moontlike gevolge van reklame deur die mediese beroep is. Die empiriese resultate dui daarop dat medici besef dat pasiente dikwels nie oor voldoende inligting beskik om 'n optimale keuse van 'n geneesheer te maak nie. Tog word daar nie geglo dat reklame die probleem sal kan opios nie. Ouer en meer ervare geneeshere is veral gekant teen die opheffing van die beperking op reklamepraktyke. Daar kan dus verwag word dat die beperkings nie gou opgehef sal word nie.