Communicating Benefit and Risk Information in Direct-to-Consumer Print Advertisements: A Randomized Study

Area of Science:

• Health Communication
• Consumer Health Information
• Pharmaceutical Marketing

Background:

• Previous studies indicated
• drug facts boxes
• improve understanding of prescription drug information in direct-to-consumer advertisements.
• The effectiveness of qualitative versus quantitative information presentation remained unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the optimal format for communicating prescription drug benefit and risk information.
• To compare the efficacy of qualitative summaries, quantitative data (absolute frequencies, percentages, absolute differences), or a combination thereof.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled study involving 5067 Internet panelists experiencing heartburn.
• Participants reviewed a drug facts box with benefit and risk information, varying the inclusion of qualitative summaries and specific quantitative data types.
• Outcomes measured included knowledge of drug benefits and risks, consumer perceptions, and behavioral intentions.

Main Results:

• The inclusion of absolute frequencies and percentages significantly enhanced participants' knowledge of drug benefits and risks.
• Quantitative data, specifically absolute frequencies and percentages, positively influenced consumer perceptions and intentions.
• Absolute differences and qualitative labels did not demonstrate a significant impact on knowledge, perceptions, or intentions.

Conclusions:

• For simple drug information, incorporating absolute frequencies and percentages into direct-to-consumer advertisements is beneficial for consumers.
• The addition of absolute differences and qualitative labels may not be necessary for effective communication of drug information.
• This research supports the use of specific quantitative data formats to improve health literacy in pharmaceutical advertising.