Putting Patient Interests First

• Most consumers are familiar with the concept of the Hippocratic Oath, a pledge historically taken by doctors to practice medicine ethically. This is the basis of the delivery of health care in the United States and the principle of putting patients first extends to all aspects of health care delivery--from clinical care to marketing. In for-profit environments, marketing is designed to generate revenue and profit for organizations. In healthcare organizations, which are primarily non-profit, revenue is still important. However, the desire to bring in funding for the organization is subservient to the health care organization's primary mission--to provide patients with quality care.
  
  

Avoiding the Promotion or Use of Unnecessary Services

• Healthcare marketing should not be designed to persuade patients to use services unnecessarily. This might occur through the use of scare tactics, for instance, that prompt people to seek tests or treatment that may not be medically required. Ethical practices in health care marketing suggest that it is unethical to create demand for unneeded services. Clearly an area in healthcare that straddleslks a fine line related to this is the promotion of cosmetic services.
  
  

Being Honest and Accurate in all Claims

• Marketing ethics in any industry require honesty and accuracy in all communications. This is even more critical in the area of health care. Marketers in this field are held to a higher standard in terms of the requirement to not make false or misleading claims about health care treatments or services. Health care marketers should focus on facts and use supporting evidence to back up any claims made about the value or predicted outcomes of the services they provide.
  
  

Being Accountable to the Public

• Because most healthcare organizations are not-for-profit they are accountable to the communities they serve for protecting and improving the health of those communities. They do this in support of their mission, vision and values. The mission of most health care organizations is directly related to the provision of quality clinical care and positive outcomes for patients. Ethical marketing in healthcare requires a focus on this intended outcome, first and foremost in all activities related to marketing--product, price, place and promotion.