I began the talk by expressing my thanks and humility for being invited to speak in a lecture series that had previously hosted George Annas, Art Caplan, Robert Veatch, Linda and Zeke Emmanuel, Daniel Callahan and many others whose work I have followed and admired. I expressed my appreciation for being the first journalist to speak in the series and hoped that I would not be the last.
I noted that one previous speaker in the series had said, ”In the last 30 years, our entire ethical sensitivity has increased substantially.” I began by wondering if the same could be said about increased ethical sensitivity in media messages about health care. And then I launched into my own 30 year retrospective.
I cited a few examples from the epiphany I had in 1984 as a reporter whose eyes were opened to the hype/misinformation disseminated on AIDS, Artificial Heart, Alzheimer's. And then I transitioned to a reflection on how the same or similar issues are covered today. I offered only a few examples; it would have been a 5-hour talk if I'd made the list more complete. CNN, not coincidentally, is cited in many of the examples, some of them from my own first-hand experience. From the ‘80s, the network insisting on hourly live reports of artificial heart patient updates, and the hyping of a trial in 4 Alzheimer’s patients. In ’90, the hype of an AIDS patient (or was he?) claiming cure from a hyperthermia experiment. Then in the current era, CNN lending credence to cloning claims by a UFO-obsessed sect, and claiming an “exclusive” and “breakthrough” on a hospital news release claiming a cancer cure was within reach. The talk emphasized shared responsibilities on the part of all who communicate about medical research and health care claims. It touched on the imbalance in many media messages about screening tests, with journalists sometimes crossing the line from independent vetting into non-evidence-based advocacy. I cited the Statement of Principles of the Association of Health Care Journalists (which I wrote). It pointed to how medical journals can be complicit in the miscommunication of findings, but how many articles are now being published in journals raising questions about “spin” and bias and interpretation and word choice.
Knight Science Journalism Fellowships at MIT Medical Evidence Boot Camp 2013Gary Schwitzer
This was, I believe, the fifth time I've been asked to speak at this event in Cambridge. Other speakers: Drs. Steven Woloshin and Lisa Schwartz of Dartmouth, Dr. Barry Kramer of NCI, and Dr. Marty Makary of Johns Hopkins.
McGovern Award Lecture - American Medical Writers AssociationGary Schwitzer
The McGovern Award is given by the American Medical Writers Association for "preeminent contributions to medical communications." It was presented at the AMWA annual conference, in Memphis, October 9, 2014.
How journalists (and other mass media) often promote too much medicineGary Schwitzer
This document summarizes the work of Gary Schwitzer and HealthNewsReview.org in analyzing medical news stories and press releases for accuracy and completeness. Some key points:
- For over 12 years, HealthNewsReview has reviewed over 2,500 news stories and 550 press releases, finding most do not adequately discuss costs, benefits, harms or evidence quality.
- Common flaws include using relative risk instead of absolute, not explaining limitations, relying on anecdotes, and having conflicted sources.
- Examples of misleading stories are provided about new procedures, liquid biopsies, and proton beam therapy that overstate benefits and omit costs/harms.
- The proliferation of health information from various
My talk to University of Wisconsin event, "Science Writing in Age of Denial"Gary Schwitzer
This is an amended version to reduce file size to allow it to fit on SlideShare.
My main theme was news coverage of screening tests that emphasized only benefits while denying/ignoring/minimizing evidence of potential harms.
My talk to National Breast Cancer Coalition Project LEAD® workshop 2014Gary Schwitzer
Delivered in Washington, DC, on November 16, 2014. These slides also became the basis for a talk I gave via Skype to Doug Starr's class in the graduate Program in Science and Medical Journalism at Boston University on November 19.
Role of the media in preventing or promoting overdiagnosisGary Schwitzer
Seminar presentation at Preventing Overdiagnosis 2015 conference in Washington DC 9/1/15 by Gary Schwitzer, Publisher, HealthNewsReview.org & Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Minnesota School of Public Health
This document summarizes the history and influence of public relations (PR) in the healthcare industry based on the speaker's organization's reviews of health care news stories and PR releases. Some key points:
- Edward Bernays popularized modern PR in the 1920s including promoting smoking and hyping breakfast foods.
- Modern healthcare PR aims to promote new tests, drugs and treatments but often exaggerates benefits and ignores costs and harms based on the organization's reviews.
- PR campaigns have influenced journalists and the public by promoting ideas like "simple tests" that overstate what tests can determine and fuel overdiagnosis.
- The organization aims to provide more balanced reviews of PR releases to counter hype and better inform journalists
Knight Science Journalism Fellowships at MIT Medical Evidence Boot Camp 2013Gary Schwitzer
This was, I believe, the fifth time I've been asked to speak at this event in Cambridge. Other speakers: Drs. Steven Woloshin and Lisa Schwartz of Dartmouth, Dr. Barry Kramer of NCI, and Dr. Marty Makary of Johns Hopkins.
McGovern Award Lecture - American Medical Writers AssociationGary Schwitzer
The McGovern Award is given by the American Medical Writers Association for "preeminent contributions to medical communications." It was presented at the AMWA annual conference, in Memphis, October 9, 2014.
How journalists (and other mass media) often promote too much medicineGary Schwitzer
This document summarizes the work of Gary Schwitzer and HealthNewsReview.org in analyzing medical news stories and press releases for accuracy and completeness. Some key points:
- For over 12 years, HealthNewsReview has reviewed over 2,500 news stories and 550 press releases, finding most do not adequately discuss costs, benefits, harms or evidence quality.
- Common flaws include using relative risk instead of absolute, not explaining limitations, relying on anecdotes, and having conflicted sources.
- Examples of misleading stories are provided about new procedures, liquid biopsies, and proton beam therapy that overstate benefits and omit costs/harms.
- The proliferation of health information from various
My talk to University of Wisconsin event, "Science Writing in Age of Denial"Gary Schwitzer
This is an amended version to reduce file size to allow it to fit on SlideShare.
My main theme was news coverage of screening tests that emphasized only benefits while denying/ignoring/minimizing evidence of potential harms.
My talk to National Breast Cancer Coalition Project LEAD® workshop 2014Gary Schwitzer
Delivered in Washington, DC, on November 16, 2014. These slides also became the basis for a talk I gave via Skype to Doug Starr's class in the graduate Program in Science and Medical Journalism at Boston University on November 19.
Role of the media in preventing or promoting overdiagnosisGary Schwitzer
Seminar presentation at Preventing Overdiagnosis 2015 conference in Washington DC 9/1/15 by Gary Schwitzer, Publisher, HealthNewsReview.org & Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Minnesota School of Public Health
This document summarizes the history and influence of public relations (PR) in the healthcare industry based on the speaker's organization's reviews of health care news stories and PR releases. Some key points:
- Edward Bernays popularized modern PR in the 1920s including promoting smoking and hyping breakfast foods.
- Modern healthcare PR aims to promote new tests, drugs and treatments but often exaggerates benefits and ignores costs and harms based on the organization's reviews.
- PR campaigns have influenced journalists and the public by promoting ideas like "simple tests" that overstate what tests can determine and fuel overdiagnosis.
- The organization aims to provide more balanced reviews of PR releases to counter hype and better inform journalists
Health News Coverage: Just How Bad It Is, Why It Matters, and What Doctors Ca...Ivan Oransky
The document summarizes research on the quality of health news coverage and discusses why improving coverage matters and what doctors can do to help. Key findings include:
- Many news stories do not adequately report on the benefits and risks of medical treatments, tests, and drugs or mention costs.
- For many groups, media and doctors are the top sources of health information, so inaccurate coverage can influence health behaviors.
- Doctors can help by developing relationships with reporters, answering questions, reviewing press releases, and providing context on new studies through their own blogs or comments to reporters.
This document summarizes lessons learned from reviewing 1,889 health news stories based on 10 criteria of quality. The most common flaws found were exaggerating effects, failing to provide absolute risk values, using causal language for observational studies, and relying on single sources without independent analysis. Proper risk communication requires stating absolute rather than just relative risk. Framing of health news stories on the same topics can differ dramatically depending on whether independent expert perspectives are included that provide necessary context.
Birds, Bears, Turtles, Trains, Coupons, Cocks...and Moses: my talk to AHCJ 2...GarySchwitzer
This document discusses criteria for evaluating health care news stories, including whether they discuss costs, quantify potential benefits and harms, and evaluate the strength of evidence. It provides examples of common flaws in news coverage, such as failing to independently verify claims, not considering conflicts of interest, and exaggerating effects. It emphasizes the importance of using absolute rather than relative measures to accurately convey effects, and discussing the limitations of observational studies.
- Reuters Health chooses stories based on impact, likelihood of changing practice, strength of evidence, and novelty. They aim to cover stories closely following the HealthNewsReview.org criteria.
- Studies show most health news coverage does not adequately report on benefits, harms, costs or alternatives. Sources with conflicts of interest are often not disclosed.
- Accurate health information is important as many people, especially minorities and those without regular providers, rely on media for health information. Inadequate coverage can negatively impact health behaviors and outcomes.
- Potential interventions include addressing staffing pressures, increasing reporter knowledge, and improving press releases from academic institutions. Targeting coverage at minority audiences may help increase access to care.
The document summarizes and critiques a report by the American Psychological Association (APA) that aimed to reduce prejudice. It notes that the APA report used complex language despite aiming to be understandable to ordinary people. It also discusses a study that found hand-washing and vaccination could reduce bias against marginalized groups by alleviating disease concerns. However, the document casts doubt on the study and psychological research in general, citing a survey finding that half of psychologists admitted to dishonest practices like selectively reporting results.
Shoot The Messenger? Challenges in Medical JournalismIvan Oransky
1) Medical journalism is often lacking in providing complete and balanced information about medical studies, procedures, and products. Many news stories fail to adequately discuss benefits, risks, costs, and alternatives.
2) There are several challenges facing medical journalists, including lack of time and resources to thoroughly research topics, pressure to produce more content, and reliance on sources like press releases that may promote certain findings.
3) Both journalists and academic medical centers could improve by taking more time to ensure coverage is balanced, explaining studies accurately and completely, and addressing potential conflicts of interest among sources. Developing relationships with expert sources can also help improve medical news reporting.
The document discusses the challenges facing medical research funding in the United States, including stagnant and declining budgets at agencies like NIH and CDC due to sequestration and flat funding. It notes that young scientists are being discouraged from entering fields that rely on government grants. The speaker calls on scientists and medical professionals to become advocates for their work by better communicating with Congress, the media, and the public about the importance of research and its impact on health and the economy. The talk emphasizes the need for the research community to change its culture and embrace ongoing advocacy and public outreach.
This document introduces the topic of bioethics and discusses some of the ethical issues that arise in medical research and practice. It defines bioethics as the ethics of medical and biological research. Some example issues discussed include when painful medical research on humans or animals is allowed, physician obligations to patients vs society, who decides who lives or dies when resources are limited, and determining patient decision-making capacity. The document explores how literature like "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" can raise analogous questions about individual sacrifice vs social benefit. It also discusses the concepts of moral distress in health professionals, and the relationship between care, treatment, harm and benefit in medical ethics.
1. Bioethics examines ethical issues that emerge from advances in science and medicine. It addresses dilemmas that arise when different parties hold conflicting values regarding appropriate care for patients.
2. Major historical events that shaped the field include the Nuremberg trials, which established standards of informed consent after Nazi human experiments, and the development of key principles like autonomy, non-maleficence, and beneficence.
3. Resolving bioethical dilemmas requires a systematic approach, including clarifying the medical facts and stakeholders' preferences, analyzing which values are most relevant, and making recommendations through shared decision-making.
This document introduces the topic of bioethics. It defines key terms such as ethics, biology, bioethics, health ethics, and professional ethics. It explains that bioethics education is important for medical practitioners because medical policies and patient rights are constantly changing, health care systems have evolved, and clinicians now face many new issues. The document also lists some common ethical issues addressed in bioethics such as abortion, euthanasia, cloning, and stem cell technology.
The document discusses several topics related to bioethics, including stem cell research. It explains that stem cells can repair and replace damaged cells, and have been used to treat conditions like Alzheimer's, heart disease, and spinal cord injuries. However, stem cell research is controversial as it involves the use of embryonic stem cells, which some believe requires the destruction of embryos. Religious views and the debate around what constitutes playing God with human life are also discussed.
This document discusses human morality and healthcare ethics. It outlines several key ethical principles for healthcare professionals, including beneficence, autonomy, and justice. It also discusses patients' rights such as informed consent and refusal of treatment. The document explores paternalism in healthcare and the justifications for both personal and state paternalism. Finally, it covers truth-telling and confidentiality in the physician-patient relationship.
EMPHNET Public Health Ethics (PHE): Introduction to public health ethics (phe)Dr Ghaiath Hussein
This is a series of presentations I gave in the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET)'s Public Health Ethics (PHE) course that was held in Amman in June 2014.
It is a revised introduction to public health ethics.
The document discusses several key points regarding ethics, law, and their relationship:
1) Ethics and law are related but not always aligned, as not all laws are considered ethical and some acts considered unethical may be legal.
2) Differences in ethical viewpoints like deontology versus utilitarianism can lead to discrepancies between ethics and law.
3) Human behavior is complex and not fully reflected by laws, which also judge actions and not intentions.
4) The document then discusses several areas of law that are directly applicable to nurses in the Philippines, including constitutional, criminal, civil, labor, administrative, and case law.
This document discusses the principal-agent relationship between scientists and the public. It uses the example of Ron Fouchier's controversial H5N1 flu research to illustrate how scientists' and the public's interests can conflict regarding basic science, public health, and security. The document argues that viewing the relationship through a principal-agent lens can help reconcile these conflicts by aligning interests and improving communication between scientists and the public. Symmetrical information flow is important to build understanding and trust between principal and agent.
This document discusses the relationship between public health, human rights, and medical ethics. It defines key concepts like human rights, medical ethics, and public health ethics. Human rights are rights that belong to all people and cannot be taken away. Medical ethics focuses on moral principles in medicine while public health ethics considers population health issues. The document examines how human rights violations can impact health by increasing exposure, acquisition, and transmission of diseases. It emphasizes building capacity and using technology and rational behaviors to improve situations where health rights are not fully enjoyed.
This document discusses several key topics in medical ethics including:
1. The basic concepts of medical ethics including beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, justice, and informed consent.
2. Historical events that shaped modern medical ethics such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and the Doctors' Trial at Nuremberg.
3. The role of Institutional Review Boards in ensuring ethical research and protecting human subjects.
4. Common ethical issues in healthcare like end-of-life care, advance directives, withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, and resolving disagreements between patients/families and physicians.
For my Capstone Course (Contemporary issues in Organizational Leadership) my group decided to discuss the ethics in regards to medical research and treatment, which has been an ongoing debate in our society.
Consumer-centered journalism that promotes patient-centered care could help address issues with how medical news currently impacts health behaviors. Research shows news coverage can influence information-seeking and health actions, yet most coverage fails to fully explain the evidence, costs, risks, and alternatives. By providing more balanced and complete information, consumer-centered journalism could help the public make more informed healthcare decisions that align with their own values and priorities. This may be especially important as new technologies and screening tests are introduced, to avoid harms from unnecessary or poorly-informed actions.
Health News Coverage: Just How Bad It Is, Why It Matters, and What Doctors Ca...Ivan Oransky
The document summarizes research on the quality of health news coverage and discusses why improving coverage matters and what doctors can do to help. Key findings include:
- Many news stories do not adequately report on the benefits and risks of medical treatments, tests, and drugs or mention costs.
- For many groups, media and doctors are the top sources of health information, so inaccurate coverage can influence health behaviors.
- Doctors can help by developing relationships with reporters, answering questions, reviewing press releases, and providing context on new studies through their own blogs or comments to reporters.
This document summarizes lessons learned from reviewing 1,889 health news stories based on 10 criteria of quality. The most common flaws found were exaggerating effects, failing to provide absolute risk values, using causal language for observational studies, and relying on single sources without independent analysis. Proper risk communication requires stating absolute rather than just relative risk. Framing of health news stories on the same topics can differ dramatically depending on whether independent expert perspectives are included that provide necessary context.
Birds, Bears, Turtles, Trains, Coupons, Cocks...and Moses: my talk to AHCJ 2...GarySchwitzer
This document discusses criteria for evaluating health care news stories, including whether they discuss costs, quantify potential benefits and harms, and evaluate the strength of evidence. It provides examples of common flaws in news coverage, such as failing to independently verify claims, not considering conflicts of interest, and exaggerating effects. It emphasizes the importance of using absolute rather than relative measures to accurately convey effects, and discussing the limitations of observational studies.
- Reuters Health chooses stories based on impact, likelihood of changing practice, strength of evidence, and novelty. They aim to cover stories closely following the HealthNewsReview.org criteria.
- Studies show most health news coverage does not adequately report on benefits, harms, costs or alternatives. Sources with conflicts of interest are often not disclosed.
- Accurate health information is important as many people, especially minorities and those without regular providers, rely on media for health information. Inadequate coverage can negatively impact health behaviors and outcomes.
- Potential interventions include addressing staffing pressures, increasing reporter knowledge, and improving press releases from academic institutions. Targeting coverage at minority audiences may help increase access to care.
The document summarizes and critiques a report by the American Psychological Association (APA) that aimed to reduce prejudice. It notes that the APA report used complex language despite aiming to be understandable to ordinary people. It also discusses a study that found hand-washing and vaccination could reduce bias against marginalized groups by alleviating disease concerns. However, the document casts doubt on the study and psychological research in general, citing a survey finding that half of psychologists admitted to dishonest practices like selectively reporting results.
Shoot The Messenger? Challenges in Medical JournalismIvan Oransky
1) Medical journalism is often lacking in providing complete and balanced information about medical studies, procedures, and products. Many news stories fail to adequately discuss benefits, risks, costs, and alternatives.
2) There are several challenges facing medical journalists, including lack of time and resources to thoroughly research topics, pressure to produce more content, and reliance on sources like press releases that may promote certain findings.
3) Both journalists and academic medical centers could improve by taking more time to ensure coverage is balanced, explaining studies accurately and completely, and addressing potential conflicts of interest among sources. Developing relationships with expert sources can also help improve medical news reporting.
The document discusses the challenges facing medical research funding in the United States, including stagnant and declining budgets at agencies like NIH and CDC due to sequestration and flat funding. It notes that young scientists are being discouraged from entering fields that rely on government grants. The speaker calls on scientists and medical professionals to become advocates for their work by better communicating with Congress, the media, and the public about the importance of research and its impact on health and the economy. The talk emphasizes the need for the research community to change its culture and embrace ongoing advocacy and public outreach.
This document introduces the topic of bioethics and discusses some of the ethical issues that arise in medical research and practice. It defines bioethics as the ethics of medical and biological research. Some example issues discussed include when painful medical research on humans or animals is allowed, physician obligations to patients vs society, who decides who lives or dies when resources are limited, and determining patient decision-making capacity. The document explores how literature like "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" can raise analogous questions about individual sacrifice vs social benefit. It also discusses the concepts of moral distress in health professionals, and the relationship between care, treatment, harm and benefit in medical ethics.
1. Bioethics examines ethical issues that emerge from advances in science and medicine. It addresses dilemmas that arise when different parties hold conflicting values regarding appropriate care for patients.
2. Major historical events that shaped the field include the Nuremberg trials, which established standards of informed consent after Nazi human experiments, and the development of key principles like autonomy, non-maleficence, and beneficence.
3. Resolving bioethical dilemmas requires a systematic approach, including clarifying the medical facts and stakeholders' preferences, analyzing which values are most relevant, and making recommendations through shared decision-making.
This document introduces the topic of bioethics. It defines key terms such as ethics, biology, bioethics, health ethics, and professional ethics. It explains that bioethics education is important for medical practitioners because medical policies and patient rights are constantly changing, health care systems have evolved, and clinicians now face many new issues. The document also lists some common ethical issues addressed in bioethics such as abortion, euthanasia, cloning, and stem cell technology.
The document discusses several topics related to bioethics, including stem cell research. It explains that stem cells can repair and replace damaged cells, and have been used to treat conditions like Alzheimer's, heart disease, and spinal cord injuries. However, stem cell research is controversial as it involves the use of embryonic stem cells, which some believe requires the destruction of embryos. Religious views and the debate around what constitutes playing God with human life are also discussed.
This document discusses human morality and healthcare ethics. It outlines several key ethical principles for healthcare professionals, including beneficence, autonomy, and justice. It also discusses patients' rights such as informed consent and refusal of treatment. The document explores paternalism in healthcare and the justifications for both personal and state paternalism. Finally, it covers truth-telling and confidentiality in the physician-patient relationship.
EMPHNET Public Health Ethics (PHE): Introduction to public health ethics (phe)Dr Ghaiath Hussein
This is a series of presentations I gave in the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET)'s Public Health Ethics (PHE) course that was held in Amman in June 2014.
It is a revised introduction to public health ethics.
The document discusses several key points regarding ethics, law, and their relationship:
1) Ethics and law are related but not always aligned, as not all laws are considered ethical and some acts considered unethical may be legal.
2) Differences in ethical viewpoints like deontology versus utilitarianism can lead to discrepancies between ethics and law.
3) Human behavior is complex and not fully reflected by laws, which also judge actions and not intentions.
4) The document then discusses several areas of law that are directly applicable to nurses in the Philippines, including constitutional, criminal, civil, labor, administrative, and case law.
This document discusses the principal-agent relationship between scientists and the public. It uses the example of Ron Fouchier's controversial H5N1 flu research to illustrate how scientists' and the public's interests can conflict regarding basic science, public health, and security. The document argues that viewing the relationship through a principal-agent lens can help reconcile these conflicts by aligning interests and improving communication between scientists and the public. Symmetrical information flow is important to build understanding and trust between principal and agent.
This document discusses the relationship between public health, human rights, and medical ethics. It defines key concepts like human rights, medical ethics, and public health ethics. Human rights are rights that belong to all people and cannot be taken away. Medical ethics focuses on moral principles in medicine while public health ethics considers population health issues. The document examines how human rights violations can impact health by increasing exposure, acquisition, and transmission of diseases. It emphasizes building capacity and using technology and rational behaviors to improve situations where health rights are not fully enjoyed.
This document discusses several key topics in medical ethics including:
1. The basic concepts of medical ethics including beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, justice, and informed consent.
2. Historical events that shaped modern medical ethics such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and the Doctors' Trial at Nuremberg.
3. The role of Institutional Review Boards in ensuring ethical research and protecting human subjects.
4. Common ethical issues in healthcare like end-of-life care, advance directives, withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, and resolving disagreements between patients/families and physicians.
For my Capstone Course (Contemporary issues in Organizational Leadership) my group decided to discuss the ethics in regards to medical research and treatment, which has been an ongoing debate in our society.
Consumer-centered journalism that promotes patient-centered care could help address issues with how medical news currently impacts health behaviors. Research shows news coverage can influence information-seeking and health actions, yet most coverage fails to fully explain the evidence, costs, risks, and alternatives. By providing more balanced and complete information, consumer-centered journalism could help the public make more informed healthcare decisions that align with their own values and priorities. This may be especially important as new technologies and screening tests are introduced, to avoid harms from unnecessary or poorly-informed actions.
Lessons to improve our reporting on evidence - analysis of 1,600 stories over...Gary Schwitzer
This document summarizes lessons from analyzing 1,600 health news stories over 6 years. It finds that most stories fail to adequately discuss costs, quantify benefits and harms, evaluate evidence quality, and compare new options to existing ones. There is also a tendency to emphasize benefits and minimize harms. Screening stories in particular are often one-sided and promote false certainty. Overall, health journalism could be improved by providing more balanced and evidence-based reporting.
Covering Cancer News - Lessons from HealthNewsReview.orgGary Schwitzer
This is 1 of 2 presentations I made at the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Research in the Media workshop for Latin American journalists in Guadalajara on November 7, 2011
Covering Medical Studies: How Not to Get It WrongIvan Oransky
This document provides guidance on how to accurately summarize and report on medical studies to avoid misrepresenting results. It emphasizes the importance of reading full studies, asking clarifying questions of authors, considering limitations and biases, disclosing conflicts of interest, and relying on outside experts rather than just study authors when evaluating results. The goal is to help readers make informed health decisions by providing coverage that reflects the evidence objectively and acknowledges uncertainty.
Evaluating medical evidence for journalistsIvan Oransky
This document provides tips for journalists on evaluating medical evidence from studies. It discusses issues like the reliability of peer review and publication bias. It also covers challenges like overreliance on embargoed studies, how often studies are later found to be wrong, and the rise in retractions. The document provides advice on getting studies, assessing study quality, considering benefits and harms, and maintaining objectivity. It emphasizes the importance of reading full studies rather than just press releases or abstracts. Overall, the document aims to help journalists critically evaluate medical studies and provide accurate reporting to readers.
Health & wealth agenda of the provincial federation of ABCsArnulfo Laniba
This document outlines the agenda of the Provincial Federation of ABCs to combat poor health and wealth issues. It discusses the current dismal state of disease, death, poverty, and bankruptcy, and identifies the medical-pharmaceutical system as failing and as the number one cause of death in America. Alternative approaches focusing on preventive medicine using natural remedies are presented. The wellness industry and networking are proposed as the main strategies to tackle these problems.
The document provides an overview of the sorry state of American healthcare and delivery of healthcare. It discusses the high costs yet relatively low life expectancy in the US compared to other countries. It notes several issues with the system including high rates of medical errors, unnecessary treatments, lack of treatment validation and standardization, and focus on procedures over overall health and prevention. The presentation aims to discuss operational aspects of healthcare delivery that could be improved independently of legislation changes.
This document summarizes Tom Peters' presentation on healthcare excellence in Dubai. The key points are:
1. Peters discusses issues with the current healthcare system, including high rates of medical errors and a focus on treatment over prevention.
2. He advocates shifting to a system focused on wellness, prevention, and evidence-based practices.
3. Peters also discusses the importance of factors like nutrition, exercise, and social support for long term health and reducing chronic diseases.
Researchers face pressure to publish exciting findings that will garner media attention, but must take care not to exaggerate or distort their results. While promotion of their work is necessary, researchers should use appropriate causal language, recognize limitations of their studies, and remain transparent in reporting associations and rationale. Responsible reporting practices help ensure research accurately informs public health policies and recommendations.
World without cancer - the story of vitamin b17 Om Verma
WORLD WITHOUT CANCER
The Story of Vitamin B17
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Ernst T. Krebs, Jr.,
and John A. Richardson, M.D. When confronted by the power and malice of entrenched scientific error, they did not flinch. While others scampered for protective shelter, they moved to the front line of battle. May the telling of their deeds help to arouse an indignant public which, alone, can break the continuing hold of their enemies over our lives and our health.
Fred Vogelstein's son Sam suffered from severe epilepsy. After trying numerous unsuccessful treatments, Vogelstein's wife found an article about a CBD-based treatment in London that significantly reduced Sam's seizures. Vogelstein then faced regulatory hurdles bringing the treatment back to the US. He wrote an article for Wired chronicling his family's journey to raise awareness about medical cannabis research. Vogelstein believes the debate needs to focus more on the scientific research and potential medical benefits of cannabis, rather than recreational use. If research is restricted due to current laws classifying cannabis as a Schedule I drug, people may be deprived of potential medical cures.
A presentation by Brian D Sites at the 2017 meeting of the Scandinavian Society of Anaestesiology and Intensive Care Medicine.
All available content from SSAI2017: https://scanfoam.org/ssai2017/
Delivered in collaboration between scanFOAM, SSAI & SFAI.
How useful are advance directives in directing end of life care and do people really understand or want to know the true status of their health as the end nears?
This document provides an overview of a presentation on the state of healthcare in the United States. It discusses the high rates of medical errors and preventable deaths in hospitals, citing estimates that medical errors kill over 300,000 Americans per year. It also notes the relatively low life expectancy in the US compared to other countries that spend less on healthcare. The presentation aims to focus on operational and systemic issues in healthcare delivery that could be improved independently of legislation.
Expanded version of a short panel presentation on the subject of mHealth. My point was that mHealth has meaning only in the larger context of an important reality: the best quality care depends on having the best information, so THAT is what we need to be thinking about.
Travel vaccination in Manchester offers comprehensive immunization services for individuals planning international trips. Expert healthcare providers administer vaccines tailored to your destination, ensuring you stay protected against various diseases. Conveniently located clinics and flexible appointment options make it easy to get the necessary shots before your journey. Stay healthy and travel with confidence by getting vaccinated in Manchester. Visit us: www.nxhealthcare.co.uk
5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT or Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that serves a range of roles in the human body. It is sometimes referred to as the happy chemical since it promotes overall well-being and happiness.
It is mostly found in the brain, intestines, and blood platelets.
5-HT is utilised to transport messages between nerve cells, is known to be involved in smooth muscle contraction, and adds to overall well-being and pleasure, among other benefits. 5-HT regulates the body's sleep-wake cycles and internal clock by acting as a precursor to melatonin.
It is hypothesised to regulate hunger, emotions, motor, cognitive, and autonomic processes.
Kosmoderma Academy, a leading institution in the field of dermatology and aesthetics, offers comprehensive courses in cosmetology and trichology. Our specialized courses on PRP (Hair), DR+Growth Factor, GFC, and Qr678 are designed to equip practitioners with advanced skills and knowledge to excel in hair restoration and growth treatments.
8 Surprising Reasons To Meditate 40 Minutes A Day That Can Change Your Life.pptxHolistified Wellness
We’re talking about Vedic Meditation, a form of meditation that has been around for at least 5,000 years. Back then, the people who lived in the Indus Valley, now known as India and Pakistan, practised meditation as a fundamental part of daily life. This knowledge that has given us yoga and Ayurveda, was known as Veda, hence the name Vedic. And though there are some written records, the practice has been passed down verbally from generation to generation.
- Video recording of this lecture in English language: https://youtu.be/Pt1nA32sdHQ
- Video recording of this lecture in Arabic language: https://youtu.be/uFdc9F0rlP0
- Link to download the book free: https://nephrotube.blogspot.com/p/nephrotube-nephrology-books.html
- Link to NephroTube website: www.NephroTube.com
- Link to NephroTube social media accounts: https://nephrotube.blogspot.com/p/join-nephrotube-on-social-media.html
DECLARATION OF HELSINKI - History and principlesanaghabharat01
This SlideShare presentation provides a comprehensive overview of the Declaration of Helsinki, a foundational document outlining ethical guidelines for conducting medical research involving human subjects.
These lecture slides, by Dr Sidra Arshad, offer a simplified look into the mechanisms involved in the regulation of respiration:
Learning objectives:
1. Describe the organisation of respiratory center
2. Describe the nervous control of inspiration and respiratory rhythm
3. Describe the functions of the dorsal and respiratory groups of neurons
4. Describe the influences of the Pneumotaxic and Apneustic centers
5. Explain the role of Hering-Breur inflation reflex in regulation of inspiration
6. Explain the role of central chemoreceptors in regulation of respiration
7. Explain the role of peripheral chemoreceptors in regulation of respiration
8. Explain the regulation of respiration during exercise
9. Integrate the respiratory regulatory mechanisms
10. Describe the Cheyne-Stokes breathing
Study Resources:
1. Chapter 42, Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology, 14th edition
2. Chapter 36, Ganong’s Review of Medical Physiology, 26th edition
3. Chapter 13, Human Physiology by Lauralee Sherwood, 9th edition
Osteoporosis - Definition , Evaluation and Management .pdfJim Jacob Roy
Osteoporosis is an increasing cause of morbidity among the elderly.
In this document , a brief outline of osteoporosis is given , including the risk factors of osteoporosis fractures , the indications for testing bone mineral density and the management of osteoporosis
Mercurius is named after the roman god mercurius, the god of trade and science. The planet mercurius is named after the same god. Mercurius is sometimes called hydrargyrum, means ‘watery silver’. Its shine and colour are very similar to silver, but mercury is a fluid at room temperatures. The name quick silver is a translation of hydrargyrum, where the word quick describes its tendency to scatter away in all directions.
The droplets have a tendency to conglomerate to one big mass, but on being shaken they fall apart into countless little droplets again. It is used to ignite explosives, like mercury fulminate, the explosive character is one of its general themes.
10 Benefits an EPCR Software should Bring to EMS Organizations Traumasoft LLC
The benefits of an ePCR solution should extend to the whole EMS organization, not just certain groups of people or certain departments. It should provide more than just a form for entering and a database for storing information. It should also include a workflow of how information is communicated, used and stored across the entire organization.
REGULATION FOR COMBINATION PRODUCTS AND MEDICAL DEVICES.pptx
Bioethics lecture UMDNJ-RWJ Medical School: "Addressing the Morass at the Intersection of Media, Medicine & Public Health"
1. Addressing the Ethical Morass at the Intersection of
Media, Medicine and Public Health
Gary Schwitzer
Publisher
16th Annual Mates David and Hinna Stahl Memorial Lecture in Bioethics
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, UMDNJ
4. “The limits of what doctors can do to human beings in
the name of science are a matter for public decision
and public accountability.”
- George Annas, NYT op-ed, 2001
5.
6. April 1984 news conference
at which HHS secretary
Margaret Heckler named
American Robert Gallo as
discoverer of the AIDS virus
with no mention of the
work of Frenchman Luc
Montagnier (who was
awarded 2008 Nobel Prize
for discovery of HIV). Worse, she announced that a
vaccine would be ready
within two years.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11. Jay Winsten in Health Affairs:
“Alzheimer’s disease became a hot story in the fall of
1984. Five weeks before the presidential election, HHS
Secretary Heckler announced five new federal grants
creating centers for research on the disease. The NY
Times carried page-one stories on new developments in
Alzheimer’s research.”
It was in this climate that researchers published the
results of a feasibility study of a potential therapy in the
journal Neurosurgery.
• 4 patients
• Relied on patients’ families’ subjective assessment of
improvement.
• The authors wrote that “results must be interpreted
cautiously” but that “We have had repeated reports
of decreased confusion, increased initiative and
improvement in activities of daily living.”
December 3, 1984
12. • The medical center held a news conference at which a
patient was made available. ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, PBS and
newspapers and magazines across the country covered it.
• Print headlines:
– Alzheimer’s Treatment Found Successful
– Scientists Find First Breakthrough Against Alzheimer’s
– Researchers Believe Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease is Near
– Researchers describe possible Alzheimer’s cure
16. April 1, 2013
Critic Seth Mnookin:
“The result of this succession of
grandiose promises is similar to that
of the boy who cried wolf:
Eventually, it becomes hard to take
even realistic claims seriously. …the
real problem with Time’s headline,
which is not that it’s wrong…is that
in the context of a fatal disease with
excruciatingly painful treatment
options, it’s simply cruel.”
17. And within the pages of that TIME cover
story are 9 mentions of MD Anderson
Cancer Center, including mention of their
“Moon Shots” program to cure cancer…
and this full-page ad insert.
Paul Raeburn of the Knight Science
Journalism Tracker points out that this
violates The American Society of Magazine
Editors guidelines that state:
“Editors and publishers should avoid
positioning advertisements near editorial
pages that discuss or show the same or
similar products sold by the advertiser (a
rule of thumb used by many magazines is,
the reader must turn the page at least
twice between related ad and edit).”
18. TIME Warner owns CNN
7 months earlier, CNN had a “breaking news exclusive”
on the MD Anderson Moon Shots program
19. What CNN didn’t report…
• Resignations, questions about conflicts of
interest and fraud probes of the program in
question.
• Not likely to be the kinds of angles and issues
one pursues when there are “exclusive”
reporting arrangements between a news
organization and a medical center.
20.
21. Gupta attempted to defend the live coverage. “We didn’t know what they
were going to say,” he explained. “They didn’t tell us. We didn’t know
whether they were going to have any proof. We didn’t think they were.”
Yet they chose to carry it live.
Unverifiable claims were broadcast to a worldwide audience, leaving
viewers to figure out whether the claim had any meaning or not.
Gupta also defended five interviews CNN had aired with two leaders of
Raelian group, in one of which Connie Chung addressed one of the leaders
as “Your Holiness.”
Holy sh-- !!!
22. Alzheimer’s today?
NBC: “For the first time ever an experimental drug is showing great promise of slowing the
progression of Alzheimer’s disease.”
First time ever?
In 5-minute web search, we found 6 different approaches reported to slow the progression
of Alzheimer’s disease in just the past 4 years:
July 17, 2012: New Alzheimer’s Drug Slowing Progression of the Disease (CBS)
March 8, 2012: Alzheimer’s treatment in late stages of disease does slow progression
(The Independent)
October 20, 2011: Antiviral Drugs May Slow Alzheimer’s Progression (Science Daily)
May 11, 2009: Can New Drug Slow Progress of Alzheimer’s? (ThirdAge.com)
August 3, 2008: Drugs May Slow Progress Of Alzheimer’s (NPR on two drugs)
23. Lots of excitement – not much evidence
- about expensive new technologies
24.
25.
26. We review stories
that include claims
about…
• Medical treatments
• Tests
• Products
• Procedures
27. Our criteria: Does the story explain…
• What’s the total cost?
• How often do benefits occur?
• How often do harms occur?
• How strong is the evidence?
• Is the condition exaggerated?
• Is this really a new approach?
• Is it available?
• Are there alternative choices?
• Who’s promoting this?
• Do they have a financial conflict of interest?
28. After 1,900 stories
over 7 years
60-70% of stories fail to:
✔ Discuss costs
✔Quantify potential benefits
✔ Quantify potential harms
✔ Evaluate the quality of the evidence
29. News stories often paint a
kid-in-candy-store picture
of U.S. health care
Terrific
Risk-free
Without a price tag
31. Common flaws: too much stenography – not
independent vetting of studies in journals
Glorifying big names/big journals - Publication in a medical
journal does not guarantee the findings are true (or even
important).
Not ready for prime time – journals meant for conversation
among scientists
Never intended to be sources of daily news. So if you’re going to
use them that way, you simply must be aware of the
landscape:
• retractions, research fraud, fabrication, falsification of
data
• unpublished data (BMJ special edition on “the extent,
causes and consequences of unpublished evidence”)
• ghostwriting of journal articles (The Public Library of
Science hosts a “Ghostwriting Collection” on its website.)
32. Failure to evaluate inherently weak science
Idolatry of the surrogate – Not understanding or simply not
reporting that surrogate outcomes (like tumor shrinkage) may not
translate into clinically meaningful outcomes (longer life).
Reckless extrapolation - Predicting what may happen in humans –
and soon - based on very preliminary animal / lab science.
Lack of awareness of conflicts of interest & other ethical issues
Going soft on business stories or on local stories
Common flaws
35. “All screening programmes do harm;
some do good as well.”
- Dr. Muir Gray
False positives suggest a problem that’s really not there.
Requires more testing, some of it more invasive carrying its own harms (biopsies)
Incidentalomas – finding things you didn’t need to/want to find
Emory radiologist after his virtual colonoscopy found suspicious spots:
“I awoke in the recovery room after 5 hours, with chest tube, Foley catheter,
subclavian central venous catheter, nasal oxygen catheter, epidural catheter,
arterial catheter, subcutaneously administered heparin, constant infusion of
prophylactic antibiotics, and patient-controlled analgesia with intravenously
administered narcotics. Excruciating pain.” Cost: > $50,000. All incidentalomas.
Anxiety. Labeling. You are now “a patient.” You “have something.”
Cost
38. I am not anti-screening
• I do oppose imbalanced, incomplete messages
on screening tests
• I do oppose messages that emphasize benefits
and minimize or ignore harms
• I do oppose messages that only tell anecdotes
of those who claim their life was saved by
screening – something that can never be
proven.
40. A physician wrote to me after seeing this:
"Could a political reporter say
'Vote for Obama?'!"
41. “The 5-year survival rates for breast cancer diagnosed early is 98
percent…and this is largely due to screening and early diagnosis.”
Crusading advocacy on CBS News
Left CBS, left “journalism,” recently joined ABC
42. Can you imagine a TV political
reporter wearing a button saying,
“Vote for Romney” ?
43. JOSH BILLINGS (PEN NAME OF HUMORIST
HENRY WHEELER SHAW, 1818 – 1885)
“I honestly believe it is better to
know nothing than to know what
ain’t so.”
44. Cheerleading
“The press, on its own, if it chooses, can make the
transition from cheerleaders of science to independent
observers. The journalistic trumpeting of medical cures,
even though accompanied by sober cautions against
optimism, deserves to be severely throttled back in
recognition of an unfortunate reality: though news is
sold around the clock, major advances in medicine come
along infrequently.”
-- Daniel Greenberg: Science, Money, and Politics, 2001
45. We should strive to be independent from the agendas and timetables of
journals, advocates, industry and government agencies. We should nourish
and encourage original and analytical reporting that provides
audiences/readers with context. Given that thousands of journal articles
and conference presentations appear each year, and that relatively few are
immediately relevant to our audiences/readers, health journalists have a
responsibility to be selective so that significant news is not overwhelmed
by a blizzard of trivial reports. We are the eyes and ears of our
audiences/readers; we must not be mere mouthpieces for industry,
government agencies, researchers or health care providers.
- Am J Bioeth, 2004 Fall;4(4):W9-13.
A statement of principles for health care journalists
- Website of Assoc. of Health Care Journalists
46. Every second spent reporting on
“new stuff” in health care is a
second not spent on helping
people understand:
• The social determinants of
health
• Affordable Care Organizations
• Medical homes
• Concepts they need to navigate
the health care system of this
era.
47. Health journalism ethics issues
• National Press Fdn. offers Pfizer-pfunded all expense paid trips to
workshops on issues affecting Pfizer’s product line.
• Retired S. Carolina newspaper columnist got his column back, now
sponsored by his new employer, local medical center.
• Many local TV stations air gee-whiz medical news that is actually
produced and written by the very hospital being touted.
• TV MD-“journalists” who report on themselves delivering care.
• Many radio news anchors solicit advertising and then read ads for
health care advertisers they solicited.
• Many magazine writers have told me they are ordered to avoid
certain topics or go soft on others so as not to offend advertisers.
Often in women’s magazines.
48. Read John Ioannidis to learn pitfalls
of a steady diet of journal stories
PLoS Med 2005; 2(8): e124
49. Journals complicit in miscommunication
• Editors of the HEART Group journals recently
stated that “inappropriate word choice to describe
results can lead to scientific inaccuracy.”
– J AM COLL CARDIOL, Vol. 60, No. 23, 2012
• “Are we making a mountain out of a mole hill? A
call to appropriate interpretation of clinical trials
and population-based studies”
– Am J Obstet Gynecol, published online 11/29/12
• “Spin and Boasting in Research Articles.”
- Commentary in Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med:
[published online October 2012]
50. Annals of Oncology: “Bias in reporting of end
points of efficacy and toxicity in randomized,
clinical trials for women with breast cancer”
(published online January 9, 2013)
Reuters: “Doctors relying on studies published in
top journals for guidance about how to treat
women with breast cancer may not be getting
the most accurate information.”
51. What the authors point out:
• “Investigators go overboard to make their
studies look positive.”
• In 2/3 of studies, that meant not listing
serious side effects in the abstract – which is
all many may read
• In 1/3 of studies, if the treatment didn’t work
as hoped, researchers reported results the
study was not designed to test – “secondary
endpoints”
52. September 2012
Positive “spin” was identified in about half of press releases and
news stories. The main factor associated with “spin” in press
releases was the presence of “spin” in the journal article abstract
conclusion.
In other words, a direct link from
published study news release news story
Readers/consumers/patients left behind in this food chain
53. Public Misunderstanding of Cancer Risk
• Studies have consistently shown people
overestimate their own risk of cancer
• Other studies show people overestimate risk
factors that have not been proven and
underestimate risk factors that are well-
established
54. “Unrealistic Optimism in Early-Phase Oncology
Trials”
People tended to overestimate the benefits of
the trial they were enrolled in and
underestimate its risks.
-- IRB: Ethics & Human Research 2011
55. Many cooks in this stew…
Editors wrote:
“Schwitzer's alarming report card of the trouble with medical news
stories is thus a wake-up call for all of us involved in disseminating
health research—researchers, academic institutions, journal
editors, reporters, and media organizations—to work
collaboratively to improve the standards of health reporting.”
56. We hold up a mirror to all who communicate about health care
• Are you guilty of infoxication?
• Are you helping people
navigate this confusing
system?
• Are you fostering an
environment of shared
decision-making between
patients and doctors?
• What kind of grades would
you get on our 10 criteria?
• If you don’t accept or agree
with our 10 criteria, what
criteria do you use?
57. First, do no harm
Including in the messages we convey
58. We must help people understand and
deal with the clash between:
• Science
• Evidence
• Data
• Recommendations for
entire population
• What we can prove
• Grasping uncertainty and
helping people apply
critical thinking to
decision-making issues
Intuition
Emotion
Anecdote
Decision-making by an
individual
What we believe, wish, or hope
Promoting false certainty
where it does not exist
That’s me on the right. Mustaches were hot then. It looks like they even tried to paint one on my female colleague. Of course today this wouldn’t be unusual during the Movember prostate cancer awareness campaign. But there was too much high quality competition at my station in the sports department. But news director tapped me on shoulder one day and asked if I wanted to do a new medical news beat – that no one else wanted!