Ethical Marketing Campaign for Addiction Treatment (EMCAT)
At EMCAT, we are committed to promoting ethical marketing practices in addiction treatment. Our focus is ensuring the well-being of those seeking treatment and advocating for transparency in marketing strategies. Learn more about the EMCAT Code.
Our Mission
The Ethical Marketing Campaign for Addiction Treatment (EMCAT) was founded by a coalition of dedicated individuals united by a commitment to enhance standards in addiction treatment marketing across the United Kingdom. Our mission is to develop, promote, and advocate for a specific code of conduct that governs ethical marketing practices tailored to the UK context.
We aim to foster collaboration among various organisations and individuals to affiliate and collectively maintain high standards in the ethical marketing of addiction services. EMCAT will actively identify and address, and where necessary, report any unethical or misleading advertising and marketing practices.
EMCAT operates as a network of former and current professionals in the addiction field, plus others with an interest in this field. Our volunteers work under the auspices of Faces & Voices of Recovery UK (FAVOR-UK), who provide umbrella services.
Unethical Practices in Addiction Treatment Marketing
Predatory and unethical marketing practices within the addiction treatment sector became particularly prevalent with the advent of Google and other search engines in the early 2000s. Search engines created a change in people’s behaviour, and instead of taking advice from healthcare professionals, or looking at the telephone directory, many people began to search online for advice about alcohol and drug problems.
Why this Matters?
Patient brokers often employ deceptive tactics to direct individuals into facilities with promises of high-quality care and success rates, sometimes without regard for the suitability or effectiveness of the treatment provided.
The commodification of addiction treatment exacerbates the problem, as some centres prioritise profit margins over the well-being of their patients. As a result, vulnerable individuals seeking help for addiction can be subjected to substandard treatment or even exploitation.
Our Goals
The Ethical Marketing Campaign for Addiction Treatment (EMCAT) aims to enhance ethical
standards in addiction treatment marketing through several strategic initiatives:
01
Code of Ethics Development:
We are committed to collaboratively drafting a comprehensive and voluntarily adopted code of ethics. This will involve engaging with key stakeholders within the addiction treatment sector—including provider networks, individual treatment providers, patient rights groups, and healthcare ethics experts—to ensure the code reflects best practices and addresses all pertinent issues.
03
Monitoring and Reporting:
EMCAT will highlight and act against dishonest marketing practices within the sector, issuing warnings to providers and taking further action to report these. We will prepare detailed reports on unethical practices, gathering credible evidence to inform our submissions to relevant regulatory bodies.
02
Advocacy and Engagement:
We will lobby for support and adoption of the code, promoting a positive approach to stakeholders who demonstrate openness to improving standards. This includes direct engagement with treatment providers, professional associations, health department officials, and politicians to secure their support for our objectives.
04
Networking and Collaboration:
Our organisation will connect with other organisations and advocacy groups sharing similar goals. We aim to network broadly, including attending industry conferences and workshops, to stay abreast of the latest trends and challenges. We will also seek support from foundations that promote patient advocacy and ethical business practices.
05
Education and Awareness:
To support our advocacy efforts, we will develop clear, compelling materials, such as case studies, evidence of marketing abuses, and the benefits of ethical practices. These materials will be disseminated through various channels, including digital platforms like social media, to raise awareness and gather support.
07
Formal Registration:
Looking ahead, we will explore the benefits of registering as a formal entity to enhance our operational capabilities.
06
Legislative Engagement:
We will study existing legislation to identify and correct abuses using existing laws and prepare for potential regulatory changes needed to support our mission.
08
Documentation and Reporting:
EMCAT will maintain detailed records of all activities and outcomes, producing an annual report to summarise our progress and impact.
How to Support EMCAT
Join our executive committee as a volunteer.
We need volunteers to help monitor activity in the addiction treatment sector, and report back to us about any concerning practices. Other types of volunteer activity are also helpful, such as updating our website, or conducting surveys, or assisting with social media.
Join our advisory board.
Our advisory board is open to new applicants. The commitment for advisory board members includes attending meetings, and reviewing the activity of the executive committee, and providing professional advice and guidance.
Become a supporter.
Supporters can donate to EMCAT, please contact us to find out more about how to do this.
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Why has EMCAT been established?EMCAT was established to tackle the problem of patient brokering, and other unethical marketing practices, in the addiction treatment field in the UK.
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What is patient brokering?Brokering in terms of its application in the healthcare field refers to the practice of intermediaries (often websites or phone lines) connecting individuals seeking healthcare services with providers or treatment services. These intermediaries usually receive commission payments from the providers they refer individuals to, which can influence their recommendations. Their methods and motivations are often oblique or hidden, and the person who is being brokered does not generally understand the process that is taking place.
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Is Patient Brokering legal?Patient brokering is unheard of in most countries, and is contrary to medical codes of ethics. However para-healthcare professionals, e.g. unqualified professionals, who are not governed by a professional body, with a professional code of ethics, are more free to engage in patient brokering. In the USA patient brokering is illegal. In the UK it operates in a grey area, where it is not explicitly illegal, but some of the practices that occur might be.
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What are some common concerns associated with brokering practices?Some common concerns include: Lack of transparency: Individuals seeking healthcare services may not be aware of the financial arrangements between brokers and treatment centres. They may not realise that their choice is being limited to a small number of providers, who are willing to pay large fees to the brokers. Potential for bias: Brokers may prioritise referring individuals to treatment centres that offer higher commission payments, rather than those that best meet the individual's needs. Brokers would not likely consider referring to a treatment centre that does not pay them a commission. Misleading advertising: Brokers may make claims of impartiality or expertise without disclosing their financial incentives, leading individuals to believe they are receiving unbiased advice. Proper boundaries between healthcare advice and sales: There is a thin line between healthcare advice-giving, and tele-sales. Advising someone in immediate need of clinical help to access a certain type of treatment facility, (and a certain level of care) should be the work of a healthcare professional. Marketing intermediaries should make the nature of their service clear, and not refer to ‘assessments,’ or other such clinical terminology when performing a sales function.
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What are some of the other unethical marketing practices that occur in the United Kingdom?Other unethical marketing practices include the paying of referral fees to therapists and coaches to send patients into particular addiction treatment facilities. There are also instances of treatment providers operating their own marketing websites, which can be mistaken for independent helplines. There are also numerous examples of misleading advertising on the part of some treatment providers, as well as patient brokers and other intermediaries.
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