Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33618970›Full record

ArticlePatient education and counseling2021

Visual images of prescription drug benefits in direct-to-consumer television advertisements.

Helen W Sullivan, Amie C O'Donoghue, Molly Lynch, Mihaela Johnson, Christine Davis, Jacqueline B Amoozegar, Douglas J Rupert

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Patient education and counseling, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Helen W SullivanOffice of Prescription Drug Promotion, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA. Electronic address: helen.sullivan@fda.hhs.gov.
Amie C O'DonoghueOffice of Prescription Drug Promotion, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
Molly LynchCenter for Communication Science, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
Mihaela JohnsonCenter for Communication Science, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
Christine DavisCenter for Communication Science, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
Jacqueline B AmoozegarCenter for Health Informatics Research, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
Douglas J RupertCenter for Communication Science, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.

Funding

Intramural FDA HHS FD999999
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveImages demonstrating a prescription drug's efficacy are often included in direct-to-consumer television advertisements. The current research assessed whether exaggerated efficacy images can mislead individuals, and whether providing accurate quantitative information can reduce these misperceptions.

methodsWe conducted two experimental studies with internet panelists 60 years and older testing drug efficacy images in television ads for wet age-related macular degeneration (N = 901) and plaque psoriasis (N = 902). In each study, participants viewed one of six ads that varied in the efficacy images included (no image, accurate image, exaggerated image) and the presentation of quantitative information (absent, present). Measures included recall, perceptions, and numeracy.

resultsIn both studies, participants who saw exaggerated images were more likely than those who saw no image or accurate images to overestimate efficacy. Presenting quantitative information increased participants' gist and verbatim recall of drug efficacy, and in some cases, led participants to have more accurate perceptions of the drug's efficacy even in the presence of exaggerated images. Higher numeracy was associated with better gist and verbatim recall.

conclusionsThese results support visual persuasion theory. Moreover, they show that exaggerating benefits visually can mislead viewers. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Stakeholders should ensure that images in direct-to-consumer promotion are accurate and non-misleading.

Indexed as

Direct-to-Consumer AdvertisingPrescription DrugsAdvertisingHumansMental RecallPersuasive CommunicationTelevisionPrescription DrugsAdvertisingDTCAPrescription drugQuantitativeTelevision

Identifiers

PMID33618970
PMCPMC8362835

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.