It’s funny how you can spin something pretty much any way you want, by just using different words and phrasing for a headline.
For instance, to the handful of health bloggers invited by J&J to meet them at a NYC restaurant for a free dinner and drinks, some in attendance claimed that "BrandweekNRX: J&J Hosts Blogger Summit." This headline, though, suggests some sort of formal conference of leaders of health blogging. Since, that’s sort of what the meaning of “summit” is (you know, specific words should actually mean something).
But reading the blog entries, it’s fairly obvious this was just a meeting to pick the minds of health bloggers by a company who may or may not be interested in leveraging blogging to improve their brand image (and product images).
Did anyone who attended the event disclose the amount of money spent to pay for their dinner and drinks? Should we expect more positive coverage of J&J in the future from these bloggers (or other bloggers hoping to get invited to the next “event”)??
And, not surprising, these are the same bloggers who decry the fact that pharmaceutical companies reimburse doctors for their expenses, consulting time or the like. Lost in the hoopla in some reporting on this topic is that the average reimbursement was $177/doctor in Vermont, around $1,000/doctor in Minnesota (Minnesota has a much larger research and clinical base).
Should doctors and pharmaceutical companies disclose publicly such reimbursements? Sure, why not?
Should bloggers also disclose their financial ties, even if it’s just dinner (hey, you can easily run up a $177 tab/per person in NYC restaurants!), to pharmaceutical companies too? You bet.
Bloggers are as much middlemen (middlepeople?) in the healthcare system in the U.S. as any doc is, given how many Americans are increasingly turning to the Internet for health information and guidance.
Are these (and other) health bloggers going to continuously disclose such “perks” of the job to their readers? How about whether they own any stock in a pharmaceutical (or competing) company? Because if we’re demanding such disclosures from docs and others involved in helping people make informed choices about medications, research and their treatment choices, we should be demanding it from anyone who is influencing people’s opinions.
(3 votes, average: 3.67 out of 5)
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5 Comments to
“J&J Pays for Health Bloggers’ Meal, Drinks”
There’s no such thing as a ‘free lunch’! Money is the motive. Self-interest dominates the spin. Money makes the world go around unfortunately, sad, cynical, but true.
Mr Grohol,
First of all, I believe Pharmalot decided to not let J&J pay for its dinner. But surely if these people can be influenced to forgo any principles they have by giving them a free feeding, anything they ever say should be subject to skepticism. We should have public access to the bank records and credit card transactions of them and their families, so we can be sure that Pharmalot paid for its three courses and one shot of espresso, and J&J did the same for itself.
What about you sir, have you ever disclosed using a free pen branded with an anti-psychotic instead of buying your own? You must have known that the pen was given to you for nothing other than to influence your opinion.
Having attended the said summit, defined by the American Heritage dictionary as “any meeting or conference of top-level officials, executives, etc.” , to soothe your thoughts I can tell you that this was the least propagandistic dinner I’ve ever been. They were actually quite obviously trying to be as removed from any promotion as possible. They really just wanted to talk about what’s happening with medblogs these days.
I suggest that everyone take it easy regarding this dinner.
I have absolutely no problem in anyone taking money from any source they want, and I believe that pharmaceutical companies do a lot of great work (that sometimes gets lost in translation to market/in market).
I’m just noticing the irony in a situation where some people write about the supposed influence on doctors and researchers, when they themselves are open to the exact same influences in the exact same manner.
Don’t hold others to a higher standard that you yourself don’t also want to be held to. Don’t complain about docs or researchers being paid $1000 for their consulting time, and then take gifts in exchange for your consulting with one pharma to help their blogging strategy.
First, it’s just dinner. Next thing you know, you’re in a relationship, and you don’t remember making the decision to have a relationship.
Then, you have to decide whether to break up, or keep going…
I’m in agreement with the first commentor, as Kurt Vonnegut says, “TANSTAAFL” the economics in any relationship always matter.
Believe me, these pharmaceutical companies are experts at winning friends and influencing people. They are smart enough not to come on like a ton of bricks at a first meeting. Didn’t you feel kind of important, being invited? Wasn’t it kind of cool to be a part of that?
It’s easy to get addicted to dope. The food is the dope, the buzz is the dope, the prestige is the dope. And in this case, the dope is the dope.
It’s not that all of the drugs are bad, but it is sickening how much we “legally” over-use and mis-use them.
I am not “for” or “against” any particular industry. But at times it seems like the ones with the most money (Investment ‘Advisors’, Drug Companies, Oil Companies) may have lower ethical standards than industries with lower profit margins. Maybe someone can run a statistical correllation? Show us the effect size of money on principles?
My friend Judy tells me her friend Cindy and her husband invites me to join them and 11 other people for dinner. However when tab came, every body was to pay $77.00 except 3 people; because this person Cindy, wanted everyone to pay for these 3 people’s dinner as a dinner in their “honor!!!” I paid reluctantly and out of duress!!! Please advise me, what was the “PROPER ETIQUETTE,” in this situation?? Please reply to my email address ASAP, to this matter.
Sincerely,
Unhappy Dinner Guest and “invitee” 
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 22 Mar 2007
