Advertising Ban in Healthcare: A Qualitative Study from the Perspective of Private Hospital Managers in Türkiye

Key findings from this study

This research indicates that:

• Private hospital managers strongly support legal regulation of healthcare advertising despite recognizing implementation challenges.
• Social media advertising presents a major regulatory gap that undermines ethical standards and patient information access.
• Managers identify persistent confusion between advertising, promotion, and informational activities as a primary source of ethical concerns.
• Existing regulatory frameworks insufficiently address digital platforms where healthcare marketing increasingly operates.

Overview

A qualitative examination of private hospital managers' perceptions regarding Türkiye's healthcare advertising ban. The study analyzed views on regulation, ethical concerns, and the distinction between advertising, promotion, and information dissemination in healthcare contexts.

Methods and approach

Semi-structured, open-ended interviews with 12 private hospital managers in Istanbul selected via purposive sampling. Participants included 4 general managers, 4 public relations managers, and 4 corporate communications and marketing managers. Educational backgrounds ranged from bachelor's to postgraduate degrees. Inductive thematic framework analysis identified six primary themes.

Results

Managers demonstrated strong support for legal regulation of healthcare advertising. A dominant concern emerged regarding uncontrolled social media advertising and ethical violations that blur distinctions between advertising, promotion, and informational activities. Participants emphasized that such blurring compromises patients' access to accurate, unbiased information.

The six themes derived from analysis were: views on healthcare advertising bans; emotional responses to healthcare advertisements; perceived risks of healthcare advertising; willingness to advertise individual hospitals; knowledge of advertising regulations; and conceptual distinctions between promotion, information, and advertising. Managers stressed that all hospital communications must remain within ethical and informational boundaries.

The research highlights tensions between regulatory frameworks and contemporary communication channels. Managers acknowledged that existing regulations fail to adequately address digital platforms where healthcare marketing increasingly occurs.

Implications

The findings indicate a gap between formal regulatory structures and actual practice in healthcare communications. Policymakers must extend regulatory oversight to social media and digital advertising channels to prevent ethical breaches and protect patients' informational access. Current frameworks address traditional advertising insufficiently but lack mechanisms for emerging digital marketing modalities.

Healthcare institutions require clearer operational guidelines distinguishing legitimate informational activities from promotional content. Establishing transparent communication standards within ethical boundaries would reduce ambiguity and support institutional compliance. Healthcare organizations would benefit from training in regulatory compliance and ethical communication practices across all platforms.

Scope and limitations

This summary is based on the study abstract and available metadata. It does not include a full analysis of the complete paper, supplementary materials, or underlying datasets unless explicitly stated. Findings should be interpreted in the context of the original publication.