Nonmetropolitan consumers attitudes toward physician advertising.

The debate over whether physicians should be allowed to advertise their services has not yet included a consideration of consumer attitudes based upon empirical data. The results of a telephone survey of residents of a nonmetropolitan area reveal that the respondents are almost evenly divided between opposition to and support of physician advertising. Most respondents do not specify a reason for their position. Attitudes do not differ when several background variables, including residence, age, education, sex, usual source of care, and preferred source of care, are controlled. However, a significant negative association is observed between attitude toward physician advertising and length of residence. This finding suggests that if physician advertising is permitted it may have its greatest impact in areas with high rates of residential turnover.