Medical Crowdfunding Culture Is Booming, But It’s Also Opening Door To False Hope And Scams
Scientists are concerned that the crowdfunding economy is normalizing unproven and risky treatments that are designed to take advantage of patients in desperate need to cures.
The Associated Press:
Desperate & Duped? GoFundMe Means Big Bucks For Dubious Care
People seeking dubious, potentially harmful treatment for cancer and other ailments raised nearly $7 million over two years from crowdfunding sites, a study found. Echoing recent research on campaigns for stem cell therapies, the findings raise more questions about an increasingly popular way to help pay for costly, and sometimes unproven, medical care. (Tanner, 10/23)
Stat:
Crowdfunding Raises Millions For Unproven And Potentially Harmful Treatments
In some cases, that can be a boon for patients who otherwise might not be able to afford needed medical care. But the new study highlights how the crowdfunding economy allows clinics to promote, and profit from, unproven therapies that could pose risks to patients — and offer false hope. “People can be desperate in these situations [and] can be taken advantage of,” [Dr. Ford] Vox said. And while that’s long been the case, the practice is “on full display on these crowdfunding campaigns,” he noted. (Thielking, 10/23)
In other news on health consumerism —
The New York Times:
Got A Fever? There’s An Ad For That
Most of what we do — the websites we visit, the places we go, the TV shows we watch, the products we buy — has become fair game for advertisers. Now, thanks to internet-connected devices in the home like smart thermometers, ads we see may be determined by something even more personal: our health. This flu season, Clorox paid to license information from Kinsa, a tech start-up that sells internet-connected thermometers that are a far cry from the kind once made with mercury and glass. The thermometers sync up with a smartphone app that allows consumers to track their fevers and symptoms, making it especially attractive to parents of young children. (Maheshwari, 10/23)
Houston Chronicle:
Consumers Have More Choices When Needing Immediate Or Urgent Medical Care
But over the last decade or so, the health care industry has rolled out a plethora of new facilities for people who require immediate or urgent medical attention. The good news is that this provides consumers more choices. Sometimes, however, those new choices can create confusion as to the level of services provided and how that can affect people's pocketbooks. ... One thing these private facilities offer consumers over traditional hospital ERs is more convenience. Often found in strip centers in far-flung suburbs, they offer people who need treatment in a hurry a quicker option than going to a hospital. Interestingly, [Memorial Hermann Medical Group executive Jennifer] Zimmerman said, the greater Houston area has more of these facilities than most other major metropolitan regions in the country. (Fountain, 10/23)
