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Yellow professionalism. Advertising by physicians in the Yellow Pages
The New England Journal of Medicine
|May 21, 1987
Summary
A 1983 study found 12% of physicians advertising as specialists in the Hartford Yellow Pages lacked board certification. This highlights potential consumer deception in medical specialty advertising.
Area of Science:
- Medical ethics
- Healthcare advertising
- Professional certification
Background:
- Physician specialty self-designation in public directories may not align with formal board certification.
- Assessing the accuracy of specialty claims in widely accessible advertising is crucial for consumer protection.
Framework:
- Comparison of physician self-reported specialties in the 1983 Hartford Yellow Pages against official board certification records.
- Utilized American Medical Association and Marquis Directory of Medical Specialists for verification.
Implementation:
- Analyzed 1179 Yellow Pages listings from 946 physicians across 61 specialty headings.
- Determined the percentage of physicians listed as specialists who lacked corresponding board certification.
Implications:
- Specialty advertising in Yellow Pages can be misleading to the public.
- American Board of Medical Specialties should address potential misrepresentation in physician advertising.