We’ve written before about some of the headlines praising robotic surgery: • Robot doctor – surgery of tomorrow • Da Vinci puts magical touch on the prostate • Cancer survivors meet lifesaving surgical robot • Robotic surgeon’s hands never tremble • Da Vinci is code for faster recovery • Surgical Maestro • DA VINCI ROBOT [...]
There’s now a website that actually tracks The Daily Mail of London to categorize its stories as either “kill or cure” stories. The site quotes British physician-author Ben Goldacre: “The Daily Mail, as you know, is engaged in a philosophical project of mythic proportions: for many years now it has diligently been sifting through all [...]
Dr. Harlan Krumholz, in a Forbes column: “I want to believe in America’s pharmaceutical companies. I want to believe that people in these companies believe that the best strategy for success is to do what is best for patients. I want to believe that they are interested in scientific truth and eager to know of [...]
Australian journalist Melissa Sweet writes in the BMJ this week (subscription req’d for full access) about “Science, politics, and headlines in the home birth war,” regarding a recent study published in the Medical Journal of Australia She raises questions about journal editorial practices, journal news release practices, and news coverage that relies on those news [...]
The Center for Public Integrity has posted a searchable database of what they say are the 1,750 companies and organizations that have hired 4,525 lobbyists to influence health care reform legislation. The Center states: “Despite the recession, 2009 was a boom year for influence peddling overall with business and advocacy groups shelling out $3.47 billion [...]
A UK parliamentary panel this week recommended against public funding of homeopathy, as Susan Perry of MinnPost.com wrote. “[E]xplanations for why homeopathy would work are scientifically implausible,” the panel said. She cited one estimate that Americans spend $830 million on homeopathic products each year. Meantime, British physician and writer Ben Goldacre wrote that the BBC [...]
WBBM in Chicago last week asked, “Is Medicare Ignoring Cheaper Lung Cancer Test?” In its report, the TV station’s “investigator” team promoted a company president’s complaints against Medicare for much of the piece. They let him get away with saying: “This is a potentially very powerful tool in the toolbox against lung cancer. You can [...]
In a Forbes column, Matthew Herper writes: “When people talk about expensive drugs, they usually are referring to drugs like Lipitor for high cholesterol ($1,500 a year), Zyprexa for schizophrenia ($7,000 a year) or Avastin for cancer ($50,000 a year). But none of these medicines come close to making Forbes’ exclusive survey of the most [...]
This is the second business section health news story we’ve questioned today. But we’re not the only ones. A Star Tribune headline screamed, “Blockage Breakthrough” on behalf of a local company’s hopes for its coronary artery intervention product. Problem: We never learn what the product really is or how it works. We only hear the [...]
Usually when something Texan tries to move into Oklahoma, there’s a great deal of skepticism. But that’s on the sports page. On the business page of The Oklahoman, a recent health news story was treated like free advertising for a Texas company now bringing its mobile health screening services to Oklahoma. Excerpts: Austin-based HealthYes! uses [...]
At least on the Chicago Tribune’s website, this story appeared in the Health section – not the local business or feature section. It didn’t address most of the things we think are crucial in a health story.
“Brown fat” has ignited a grease fire of media hype in recent weeks.This WebMD story missed a good opportunity to smother the flames.
We reviewed this story and a competing AP story on these new fibroid studies. Read and compare.
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