“On the doctor's orders”: A pilot study of the effects of website marketing for medical specialist providers under gatekeeping arrangements

Abstract

Websites from medical specialist providers are becoming increasingly marketing oriented, but there exists a paucity of empirical research on the effects. This experimental study explored effects of exposure to real websites from medical specialist providers among Dutch adults under physician gatekeeper arrangements. Exposure led to a stronger intention to seek treatment from the specialist provider and motivation to rely on the providers' claims. Weaker to absent effects were found for intention to question the physician gatekeeper's referral and this was chiefly motivated by the belief that "the doctor knows best." Implications for specialist provider marketing under gatekeeping arrangements are discussed. KEYWORDSDirect-to-consumer; medical marketing; physician gatekeeping; physician-patient relationship; website marketing Access to medical specialist care is controlled by a physician gatekeeper in many health care systems around the world. Patients within such gatekeeping systems usually cannot see a medical specialist unless it is "on the doctor's orders" (i.e., through a referral from the physician gatekeeper; Forrest, 2013). Marketing for medical specialist providers within gatekeeping systems is traditionally aimed at maintaining good relationships with physician gatekeepers in an attempt to secure referrals. Increasingly, however, specialist providers' marketing also directly targets patient audiences. Up to this date very little is known about the effects of patient-targeted marketing for medical specialist providers under physician gatekeeper arrangements. Does it reach intended effects, and how do patients understand the role of the physician gatekeeper? Direct-to-consumer marketingMarketing that encourages patients to call upon a physician gatekeeper to provide them a specific medical product or service is known as direct-to-consumer

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