This paper shows that Medical Innovation (Coleman, Katz and Menzel 1966) and several subsequent studies analyzing the diffusion of the drug tetracycline have confounded social contagion with marketing effects. First, we describe the medical community’s understanding of tetracycline and how the drug was marketed at the time the Medical Innovation data were collected. We find little reason to exp...

This article shows that Medical Innovation—the landmark study by Coleman, Katz, and Menzel—and several subsequent studies analyzing the diffusion of the drug tetracycline have confounded social contagion with marketing effects. The article describes the medical community’s understanding of tetracycline and how the drug was marketed. This situational analysis finds no reasons to expect social co...

As medical students, we have seen considerable misrepresentation of FM and regard this as a marketing failure in the early years of medical school. Negative aspects are often exaggerated, and positive characteristics are downplayed. Undersold features include FM’s opportunity for diversity and flexibility of career, challenge of practice, and ability to “hold its own” alongside any other medica...

BACKGROUND Despite having access to medically necessary care available through publicly funded provincial health care systems, some Canadians travel for treatment provided at international medical facilities as well as for-profit clinics found in several Canadian provinces. Canadians travel abroad for orthopaedic surgery, bariatric surgery, ophthalmologic surgery, stem cell injections, "Liberat...