$10 Billion In Annual U.S. DTC Healthcare Advertising Indicates Merging Of Patient And Consumer

Recently, the renowned bioethicist Art Caplan commented on the merging of the terms patient and consumer, and physician and provider. I am sympathetic to Caplan's take on patients not being consumers, and physicians not being providers. The language of consumers and providers appears to diminish the importance of the patient-physician relationship in which, under ideal circumstances, market-based financial incentives don’t play a role.