Doctors, Marketing, and Money = Messy

Here is a item from CNN on physicians, money, marketing and ties to pharmaceutical and medical device companies. We, of course, would like to believe that all physicians are objective and only interested in our welfare. I wish it were true but sometimes........... Duncan


ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Linda Lewis says that when she had back surgery two years ago, her surgeon didn't do what was best for her health; he did was best for his bank account.
If Linda Lewis had known of her surgeon's financial ties to a device maker, she'd have sought a second opinion.

If Linda Lewis had known of her surgeon's financial ties to a device maker, she'd have sought a second opinion.

Lewis, a graduate student who lives in Sherman Oaks, California, says Dr. John Regan, a surgeon in Beverly Hills, put in an artificial disc to help relieve her lower back pain.

"He said my back would be better than ever," said Lewis, 45. "I'm thinking, 'Wow, disc replacement is the best thing since sliced bread.' "

But after the surgery, Lewis says, she ended up in debilitating pain, could walk only with the assistance of a walker and had to have a second procedure to correct the first one.

"I couldn't take enough drugs for the pain," she said. "Having that surgery was the worst decision of my life."

Lewis said she was "livid" when she later found out that Regan had financial ties to the company that makes the disc, saying she believes that those ties prompted Regan to recommend the disc over other treatment options.

In an e-mail to CNN, Regan's office manager said he "is not available for comment."

How likely is it that your doctor has a tie to a company that makes drugs or devices? Very likely, according to Dr. Robert Steinbrook, who wrote an article on doctor/industry ties this month in the New England Journal of Medicine. Video Watch more on medical marketing and doctors »

"Most physicians in the United States have financial relationships with industry, ranging from the acceptance of meals to the receipt of large sums of money for consulting, speaking, or conducting research," he wrote.

For example, two physicians made more than $8 million each from Dupuy Orthopaedics Inc., which lists the payments on its Web site.

"Consumers should absolutely know where their doctor is coming from," said Steven Findlay, a health care analyst at Consumers Union. "Doctors think they won't be influenced by these financial relationships, but the research shows that they are.".........click on the link for the rest.


Don't become a victim of medical marketing - CNN.com