ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Amie C. O’Donoghue, PhD; Kathryn J. Aikin, PhD; Jacqueline B. Amoozegar, MSPH; Mihaela Johnson, PhD; Ifeoluwa Adewumi, BS; Douglas J. Rupert, MPH
Corresponding Author: Amie C. O’Donoghue, PhD; Office of Prescription Drug Promotion, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Email: Amie.Odonoghue@fda.hhs.gov
DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2024.240368R1
Keywords: Conferences, Credentialing, Disclosure, Exhibition, Health Communication, Intention, Pharmaceutical Economics, Pharmaceutical Industry, Pharmaceuticals
Dates: Submitted: 10-08-2024; Revised: 02-24-2025; Accepted: 03-05-2025
Status: In production for ahead of print.
PURPOSE: Exhibit hall booths at medical conferences are a key avenue for promoting prescription drugs to healthcare providers (HCPs). Because HCPs spend considerable time interacting with industry representatives at conferences, we explored how representatives’ credentials might influence HCP perceptions and prescribing intentions of promoted drugs. We also examined how disclosures of clinical trial data limitations about these drugs during conference interactions might influence HCP perceptions and intentions.
METHODS: We conducted a 2x2 factorial experimental study with HCPs (n=430) during or immediately after their attendance at one of 12 U.S. medical conferences. Participants viewed video stimuli depicting an exhibit hall interaction between an industry representative and an HCP discussing a fictitious drug for preventing nausea and vomiting. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions that varied (1) the representative’s educational credentials (MBA vs. MD) and (2) a disclosure noting clinical trial data limitations (present vs. absent). Participants then completed an online questionnaire with questions about the fictitious drug, such as perceived efficacy and perceived risk.
RESULTS: Industry representative credentials had no influence on HCP perceptions and intentions to prescribe the drug, though representatives with medical degrees were rated as having slightly more medical knowledge. Conversely, the disclosure significantly reduced drug efficacy perceptions and led to less positive drug attitudes, although it did not influence prescribing intentions.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that HCP perceptions and intentions are not swayed by the industry representative credentials but that data limitation disclosures can temper HCP perceptions of drugs promoted at medical conferences.