SCHWARTZ HEALTHCARE-IT BLOG

Great Expectations

A survey by HealthNewsReview.org published in the current issue of PLoS Medicine shows that the media could do a better job at covering medical news.

An analysis of 500 stories on medical topics by U.S. consumer print and broadcast media showed that “journalists usually fail to discuss costs, the quality of the evidence, the existence of alternative options, and the absolute magnitude of potential benefits and harms.”

These observations may be right, but what do you expect from the media, particularly consumer outlets? Space and time is money, all information is dumbed down, long form pieces don’t sell ads and eyeballs, and there will never be this level of desired accuracy. That’s what blogs, Web sites and peer-reviewed academic journals are for.

Some findings: