I was talking to a friend yesterday about his colleague's cervical issue. (I’ll call his buddie Steve). As it turns out, Steve may be getting a free artificial disc, in exchange for providing marketing services (testimonial, film footage, etc.) for the device company.
When I heard about this, I was a bit surprised. But then I thought back to 2004, before FDA approval and all the other challenges I endured. Back then, if the device company (if it was an artificial disc I believed was sound) offered, I would have gone for it!
But now, looking at all the different perspectives involved, I am not sure if this is an ethical situation. What do you all think about this situation?
