The Concept of “Fragile Skin”: A Case of Disease Mongering in Dermatology?

Abstract

"Disease mongering" is a term proposed by medical journalist Lynn Payer in 1992 as "trying to convince essentially well people that they are sick, or slightly sick people that they are very ill" [1]. Scientifically, it has been defined as the "selling of sickness that widens the boundaries of illness in order to grow markets for those who sell and deliver treatments" [2]. While the promotion of medical products to physicians is a legal right of manufacturers that may serve a legitimate purpose, i.e. informing physicians on innovative treatment options for their patients, disease mongering refers to the medicalisation of conditions that do not fulfil the definition of disease.

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