Editorial: Ex-surgeon general lets down the troops

Wednesday, Sept. 8, 1999 | 9:27 a.m.

Dr. C. Everett Koop earned a reputation as a straight-shooting physician tackling controversial public health issues -- whether it was smoking or AIDS -- when he was U.S. surgeon general for a staunchly conservative president, Ronald Reagan. But a story in Sunday's New York Times raises ethical questions as to whether Koop, who resigned as surgeon general 10 years ago, has been aboveboard regarding his medical website for consumers, drkoop.com.

The New York Times reported that until last week, Koop's website didn't disclose a business arrangement that allowed him to receive commissions on health products and services sold by businesses on his website (Koop has since stopped receiving a commission). In addition, the story noted the blurring between advertising and unbiased information. For instance, two months ago the website displayed a list of hospitals and medical care centers that were dubbed "the most innovative and advanced health care institutions across the country." The problem, though, was that the listing did not carry a disclaimer to acknowledge it actually was an advertisement and not an independent article.

When people turn to a doctor they expect to get a professional opinion, unvarnished by bias. Koop's name alone gives him instant credibility, and in turn makes his website even more popular, which makes it crucial for him to be upfront regarding his business relationships. While Koop is entitled to profit handsomely from his website, the issue for him and other popular medical website purveyors is ensuring that they're clearly making a distinction between advertisements and medical opinions. And consumers, too, should approach these websites with healthy skepticism, considering that their content essentially is unregulated.