While marketers at Wishard Memorial were careful not to misrepresent themselves or their survey results in their ads --hospitals across the country should be cautious as well.
Recently, the American Hospital Association issued guidelines on advertising that declare content should be "measured primarily by its truthfulness, fairness, accuracy, completeness and sensitivity to the healthcare needs of the public." While the guidelines seem obvious, there's apparently a need to emphasize the importance of honesty in advertising.
The guidelines have been adopted by many state hospital associations.
They are meant to address ads that are not technically false but may be misleading and therefore not subject to action by the Federal Trade Commission or state consumer protection departments.
"It is important for all hospitals doing aggressive advertising to address what the guidelines are. They should contact their local state association or regional association or the AHA," said Wade Edwards, vice president of public relations of the Florida Hospital Association. (AHA, 202/638-1100)