Impact of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Cosmetic Procedures on Consumers

BACKGROUND Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising is a prominent type of health care communication. OBJECTIVE This study aims to determine the impact of DTC advertisements on consumer opinion. METHODS A total of 203 participants were recruited from dermatology clinics at an urban academic center. Participants viewed 2 cosmetically oriented DTC advertisements, and prequestionnaires and postquestionnaires were administered to assess consumer opinion. RESULTS Postquestionnaire data highlight a 18.8% and 24.6% increase in participants reporting using commercials as an information source (p < .001) and seeking out additional medical knowledge (p < .001), respectively. After watching the advertisements, there was a 14.4% increase in participants who believed advertisements facilitate better discussions between patients and physicians (p < .001) and a 33% increase in patients reporting they would discuss the procedures with their doctors (p < .001). Of the participants, 60% believed the advertisements did not provide enough information about the possible risks of the product and 39.4% believed a physician was not required to perform cosmetic procedures. CONCLUSION Direct-to-consumer advertisements instill meaningful information to patients and promote patient-physician communication. They also seem to exaggerate the benefits while making the procedures seem simple and without risks, suggesting trained medical professionals are not needed for administration.

Automated summary

This study found that direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements can increase consumer acceptance of commercial ads, promote active acquisition of medical knowledge, and improve discussions with doctors. However, the ads tend to exaggerate the benefits of the products and make the procedures seem simple and risk-free, leading to the belief that trained medical professionals are not necessary.