DTC Ad Risk Information Printed In Color Is Most Effective - DIA Study

Printing risk information in color in direct-to-consumer advertising may be the most effective method of communicating potential adverse reactions to patients, according to a study presented at the Drug Information Association annual meeting in Denver July 10.

"What's significant here is that separated-color and integrated-color" scored "significantly higher" in patient understanding than stylistic changes not involving color, psychologist Michael Wogalter, PhD, North Carolina State University, said.

The study manipulated the formatting of fictitious drug print ads, which were presented to 144 volunteers. Risk and benefit information was either put in separate segments or integrated together, and risks were either written in black ink (like the benefits), or printed in red. A fifth "enhanced warning style" format also segregated and colored risks, but used icons, different font sizes and more colors as well. The control group presented benefits but no risks.

The study was conducted "to determine whether the design/format of DTC ads affects knowledge acquisition of benefit and risk information," Wogalter said.

FDA has acknowledged that the "brief summary" required for product and use print ads is not too useful for consumers. The summaries are traditionally printed in black and white on a separate page, for which drug companies often pay a reduced rate.

The effectiveness of the six created ads was measured by giving a knowledge test as well as a subjective self-evaluation by the volunteers.

The "enhanced" version had the highest scores, although the separated-color condition was not statistically different, the study abstract states. In all comparisons, printing risk information in color resulted in better retention by study volunteers.

The study also "showed that the presence of physical features that distinguish the risk information from other text facilitated information acquisition and perceived effectiveness," the study abstract states.

Wogalter is currently conducting similar research on benefit/risk information on the Internet and in television commercials, under a DIA research grant.

"It's much easier to find the benefits" on websites, Wogalter observed. "There's more scrolling required to find the risks, there's more clicking to a positional place on risks." The study will manipulate the placement of risk information on specially created websites and examine how people can access it.