Knee replacement commercial...

[SoulRFlare]

Is it me, or does the idea of "knee replacement hardware" commercials represent an alarming development in American medicine?
I predict--within five or ten years we will be seeing celebrity/sports star endorsements...(Shaq says "the new Cyberonic 3000 Hydraulic Booster improved my game...see what it can do for you!")
Granted, I am not a communist, and I think that capitalism works well in stimulating innovation in many areas of enterprise...but science in general, and medicine in particular stand to lose a great deal in terms of objectivity and integrity because of this nonsense.
(I'm reminded of a company who manufactures a piece of neuro hardware for epilepsy...and is attempting to "widen their market" in order to encompass the "clinically depressed and OCD patient bases"...what's next? neural enhancements for the "extentially bored"?)
I can't even express how much these "medical commercials" disgust me...

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[Domitian]

...what's next? neural enhancements for the "extentially bored"?)

Yes, please. POW, right to the limbic system; wouldn't THAT spice up your life.

But my favorite is still the Levitra commercial with the guy throwing the football through the tire swing. HAHAHAHA....

 

[Ross434]

I like a lot of these commercials, and wouldnt be afraid to run one later on when i become a doctor. Do you have a problem with eye clinics advertising laser surgery??? If not, then realize that its just a high level high quality product. If there's a really advanced product out there (ie: artificial knee) that can make a doctor a lot of money and significantly improve a patient's quality of life, why not advertise for it?? People sitting on their couch dont automatically know about the latest medical advances. They might never have considered such a device had it not been advertised.

I agree with a lot of people though, when it comes to drug advertisements. There's definitely a line that's been crossed there, especially with ads designed to "stir up demand" by making people think they have depression or ADHD or social anxiety disorder.

 

[SoulRFlare]

I like a lot of these commercials, and wouldnt be afraid to run one later on when i become a doctor. Do you have a problem with eye clinics advertising laser surgery??? If not, then realize that its just a high level high quality product. If there's a really advanced product out there (ie: artificial knee) that can make a doctor a lot of money and significantly improve a patient's quality of life, why not advertise for it?? People sitting on their couch dont automatically know about the latest medical advances. They might never have considered such a device had it not been advertised.

I agree with a lot of people though, when it comes to drug advertisements. There's definitely a line that's been crossed there, especially with ads designed to "stir up demand" by making people think they have depression or ADHD or social anxiety disorder.

The commercial I was referring to was advertising "name brand" knee replacement hardware. ("ask your doctor about our 21st century cybernetic gear...") The fact is, I don't think that "the marketplace" is the appropriate forum for debating medical advancements--there are too many confounding factors to insure that "the best" really is The Best. This is not to say that i think that patients should be uninformed regarding treatment options. Rather, I think that the information should be provided in an unbiased manner by physicians themselves, or (if that's not possible) by a third party--double blind and all...
Commercials (eye clinic or otherwise) do not provide unbiased scientific facts to our future patients.

 

[dsblaha]

I agree. We have to be very careful that we don't stoop to the level of chiropractors and other wackos that send pamphlets to every car accident victim and sell products in their waiting rooms.

I was recently in a minor fender-bender (no injuries) but as soon as the police report was filed I received PILES of advertisements from chiropractors and personal injury lawyers. I couldn't believe how sleazy most of them were.

 

[dsblaha]

In an ideal world what should be done is when a patient comes in for knee pain to go over all of the options: from the latest technology to more standard therapies. Explain the benefits and the costs of each option and let make the decision with your patient.

If the newest product is that great, then it will be used and the company will make money.