Don Berwick and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement have done important work in addressing health care quality issues. But they may have overstepped the boundaries of evidence with a recent study that drew a lot of news coverage, claiming that hospitals they worked with saved over 122,000 lives by cutting down on errors and improving [...]
The Gannett Company has sold a 32-page issue of an insert entitled “USA Weekend HealthSmart” to drug company advertisers and to newspapers across the country. The New York Times reports that the insert appeared in 76 newspapers with an estimated circulation of 7.5 million. I was one. I am no smarter for having scanned the [...]
At least CNN doesn’t discriminate based on gender when it gives screening test advice that clashes with evidence-based guidelines. Back in February, CNN’s Sanjay Gupta gave screening test recommendations to men at various ages. The advice flew in the face of unbiased, authoritative guidelines of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Then on Mother’s [...]
Dartmouth’s Steve Woloshin and Lisa Schwartz have studied the pitfalls of news coverage based on scientific meetings. Their new work, in the Medical Journal of Australia, looked at print and broadcast news stories based on research reports at five major scientific meetings on heart disease, AIDS, cancer, neuroscience and radiology. Results: “34% of the 187 [...]
What ethical standards still exist at Time magazine? Or do they exist and they’re just being ignored? The Center for Science in the Public Interest points out that this week’s Time magazine includes a column by Dr. Andrew Weil touting the benefits of fish oil supplements. CSPI says, “The column was sparked by a recent [...]
CNN has been giving viewers screening test advice that does not reflect the best medical evidence. In my last Publisher’s Note I pointed out how CNN’s on-air advice conflicted with evidence-based guidelines when it advised men in their 40s, 50s and 60s about screening tests they should have. That segment was broadcast in February. In [...]
We look for more critical analysis of FDA expedited approval of a new drug like this.
Five-star story on small study that tries to counter large body of evidence on soy supplements for hot flashes.
Our reviewers, including a leading women’s health clinician-researcher, felt this piece would have been benefited from more data and context.
We will not display your name or e-mail address on the site, nor will we share youre-mail address with any third parties.
For site updates and news from Gary, find us on Twitter:
HealthNewsReview: @HealthNewsRevu
Gary Schwitzer: @garyschwitzer
Copyright © 2012 Health News Review
