Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37061633›Full record

ArticleTherapeutic innovation & regulatory science2023

Complexity of Data Displays in Prescription Drug Advertisements for Healthcare Providers.

Jessica Thompson, Molly Lynch, Helen W Sullivan, Kathryn J Aikin, Suzanne Dolina, Micaela Brewington

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Therapeutic innovation & regulatory science, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 36% of its field
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

0 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Jessica ThompsonRTI International, 3040 E, Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA. jessicathompson@rti.org.ORCID 0000-0002-9224-3709
Molly LynchRTI International, 3040 E, Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA.
Helen W SullivanU.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Prescription Drug Promotion, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
Kathryn J AikinU.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Prescription Drug Promotion, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
Suzanne DolinaRTI International, 3040 E, Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA.
Micaela BrewingtonRTI International, 3040 E, Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA.
RTI International · USUnited States Food and Drug Administration · US

Funding

Intramural FDA HHS FD999999
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHealthcare providers (HCPs) often encounter clinical trial results in the form of data displays in prescription drug promotions. Information conveyed in data displays vary in their presentation and complexity. This study describes characteristics of data displays in prescription drug advertising targeted to HCPs.

methodsThis study characterized the content of 140 data displays in 98 unique print advertisements from 2009 to present and identified in AdPharm, an online database of pharmaceutical advertisements. Two reviewers independently coded the advertisements for characteristics (κ = 0.85) including complexity, format, and quality.

resultsAbout one-third (32%) of the advertisements contained multiple data displays (range 2 to 6) and 44% showed clinical data from oncology trials; other disease domains were mental and behavioral health (14%), rheumatology and autoimmune disorders (8%), endocrinology (7%), cardiology (6%), infectious disease (6%), pulmonology and allergy (4%), and others (< 2% each). About one-half (51%) of displays were classified as "simple" which included "pseudographs" and basic tables or charts. "Complex" displays appeared as survival curves, line graphs, or bar graphs with complex features. Most complex displays included a comparator drug (90%), plain language restatement of the key finding (93%) and disclosure statements (91%) with additional study details, although their placement varied. Complex displays were of high quality, according to our selected indicators; our analysis found no data distortion or errors.

conclusionData displays in prescription drug advertising are often highly complex. Future research assessing understanding of data displays and the potentially beneficial effect of disclosures and other features is warranted.

Indexed as

Prescription DrugsAdvertisingData DisplayDrug IndustryHealth PersonnelHumansPrescription DrugsAdvertisingClinical trialsContent analysisData displaysHealthcare providersPrescription drugs

Identifiers

PMID37061633
PMCPMC10330753
OpenAlexW4365816202

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.