Waking Up to the Risks of Online Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Sleep Apnea Screening Tests

CyberRx

“…This has given rise to the emergence of online and interactive forms of "digital" DTCA through the use of websites and social media (Keller and Thackeray, 2011;Liang and Mackey, 2011;Thackeray and Neiger, 2009;Thackeray et al, 2008Thackeray et al, , 2012. With consumers becoming more active participants in the provision of their health care, they are increasingly using the Internet as a source for health care information (Applbaum, 2009;Mackey et al, 2012). Perhaps more significantly, with this shift in health care technology and communication adoption by consumers, DTCA is no longer confined within physical or geographical boundaries (Applbaum, 2009;Liang and Mackey, 2011).…”

“…However, DTCA is evolving with emerging health care technologies such as use of the Internet, health care applications, social networking and the changing dynamics of the physician-patient relationship (Mackey et al, 2012). This has given rise to the emergence of online and interactive forms of "digital" DTCA through the use of websites and social media (Keller and Thackeray, 2011;Liang and Mackey, 2011;Thackeray and Neiger, 2009;Thackeray et al, 2008Thackeray et al, , 2012.…”

“…Perhaps more significantly, with this shift in health care technology and communication adoption by consumers, DTCA is no longer confined within physical or geographical boundaries (Applbaum, 2009;Liang and Mackey, 2011). Similar to the ease of transmission of diseases through increased trade and travel, DTCA has globalised to markets outside of the USA and New Zealand via the Internet and other forms of cross-border promotion, resulting in a myriad of issues pertaining to regulation, adverse economic and patient safety consequences (Mackey et al, 2012).…”