Healthy Skepticism Library item: 8040

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Schommer JC, Singh RL, Hansen RA.
Distinguishing characteristics of patients who seek more information or request a prescription in response to direct-to-consumer advertisements.
Res Social Adm Pharm 2005 Jun; 1:(2):231-50

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine demographic and psychographic profiles of individuals who sought additional information or requested a prescription drug based on a direct-to-consumer advertisement.

METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was used for collecting data from a random sample of 200 Minnesotans during Fall 2002. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests were used as nonparametric tests for assessing differences in distributions between our categories of study subjects.

RESULTS: Out of 177 deliverable surveys, 81 (46%) were returned. Of these, 80 surveys were usable for analysis. The results showed that the distinguishing characteristics of individuals who sought additional information based on an advertisement were associated with demographic variables such as number of drugs taken daily and monthly out-of-pocket expenditures for prescription drugs. In contrast, distinguishing characteristics of individuals who requested prescription drugs (in addition to seeking information) based on an advertisement were psychographic in nature such as (1) viewing themselves as having greater influence on their physician, (2) having a stronger relationship with their physician, (3) expressing greater satisfaction with their current therapy, (4) viewing prescriptions as less of a burden, and (5) having higher outcome expectations for prescription drugs compared to the respondents who did not ask for a prescription drug based on a direct-to-consumer advertisement.

CONCLUSIONS: Distinguishing characteristics of information seekers were demographic in nature, whereas those characteristics of prescription requesters were psychographic in nature.

Keywords:
Publication Types: Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH Terms: Advertising* Data Collection Demography Female Health Behavior* Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Humans Male Middle Aged Patients Pharmaceutical Preparations* Physician-Patient Relations* Prescriptions, Drug* Substances: Pharmaceutical Preparations