Should your doctor offer you a discount on medical services if you post a YouTube video plugging his services?

It's a marketing practice gaining traction in the elective procedure arena, notes the New York Times. Doctors are offering everything from free botox shots to discounts on plastic surgery and Lasik procedures if patients post video endorsements, a practice making consumer advocates and medical ethicists squirm even without viewing the online YouTube clips.

A recent search on YouTube turned up 2,400 "Botox" tagged videos, 2,000 "breast augmentation" videos and around 2,000 Lasik videos. Some clips are professionally produced by marketing companies while others are more ad hoc affairs recorded and edited by an in-house staff member. Content ranges from gory-detail procedures to mini-documentaries glorifying the doctor and patient.

New Yorker doctors don't see a problem in the practice, but consumer advocates say rebates my hinder candid reviews of medical care; complain and you won't get your $100 off.  While discounts and free botox for patient endorsements are legal, medical associations are reviewing the practice and establishing guidelines for appropriate disclosure.

For more
- NY Times covers online medical soft endorsements [1]

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