Patients traditionally have received all their medical information from their physicians. However, “Dr. Google” and “Nurse Bing” have increasingly become trusted sources of health information. As a result, everyone from pharmaceutical companies to prosthesis suppliers has added direct-to-consumer advertising to their promotional mix. This is very controversial because it tends to disrupt the traditional doctor-patient relationship.

This project provides you with the opportunity to thoroughly research a current direct-to-consumer advertising technique (online ads or social media, for example) and how it is used to promote a healthcare product or service. This project will help you understand how to communicate directly with healthcare consumers and improve your marketing knowledge.

Your final project is due in Module 09. There will be individual assignments along the way. The module they are due is noted in the time line below.

Time Line

Module	Assignment
02	Introduction
04	Thesis and Outline
05	Annotated Bibliography
06	Start Work on Rough Draft
07	Rough Draft Due
09	Final Paper Due

Requirements

For this project, you will write an original research paper with a body of 5-6 pages. The paper should focus on a direct-to-consumer technique, thoroughly explaining what it is, why it’s important, and how it fundamentally impacts healthcare marketing.

Your paper final should consist of the following pages:

Title Page – captivating title, your name, title of the course, date

Body – 5-6 pages consisting of introduction, background on your topic, research support using in-text citation, personal evaluation, and strong conclusion.

Reference Page – in APA format.

Research and Writing Requirements include the following:

• Incorporate key elements of a quality research paper (e.g., strong thesis, attention-getting opening, topic sentences, etc.).

• Use proper mechanics: clear, concise, complete sentences and paragraphs, proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. (See style handbooks recommended by your college’s Online Library, which you can access through the Resources tab.)
• Use five or six sources for the paper from your research. Your textbook is a good resource. Internet resources should be reliable, for instance, a university or government website. Please use one or two sources as available from your college’s Online Library. Use statements and ideas that you have come up with on your own and blend these in with your research. Do not plagiarize. If you want to use actual words from a source, put them in quotation marks with the source.
• Follow APA format for citing your sources. APA format should be followed in parenthetical references to research in the body of the text and in the annotated bibliography in the References Page at the end. For APA guidelines, go to your college’s online library, which you can access through the Resources tab.

Evaluation

Each assignment leading up to the final assignment is evaluated and graded independently. Your instructor will provide specific grading criteria for each step of the project prior to its due date.

For Further Questions

If you have further questions throughout this project, please ask your Instructor. Post ideas and questions for your classmates in the General Course Questions forum in the Getting Started folder of this course.