All about marketing

From a BMJ review of increasing patient safety:

In another effort to bring the issues to the forefront, the Institute of Medicine established its quality of care in America committee. In late 1999 the committee’s first report, To Err is Human, was released. Unlike previous reports on quality, which had been directed at elected representatives, healthcare leaders, and professionals, the key audience for this report was the lay public. In effect, it was direct marketing to patients about medical errors. The impact was tangible, with near saturation coverage in the media for almost three days.

Reference: Elwyn and Corrigan BMJ.2005; 331: 302-304.