I’ve written a few times about Veneta Masson, a nurse practitioner who wrote in Health Affairs and in the Washington Post about her decision to forego further mammograms despite the fact that she was in a higher-risk category.
She sent me a YouTube video animation of her poem, “Reference Range,” which I’m pleased to share with you.
I think the poem and the video are beautiful, touching on important issues of how meaningless numbers and scores may be, subject to misinterpretation.
“Is it normal, you ask.
Normal’s a shell game you seldom win.”
Opinions on other issues in news, journals, PR, advertising, marketing
Puleeeeease... this 'game changer' weight loss drug causes more nausea and vomiting than a placebo. Some game, some change. My friend Gary would spank you for using the eighth word medical reporters should never, ever use. @garyschwitzer @thackerpd
https://www.healthnewsreview.org/toolkit/just-journalists-writing-tips-case-studies/7-words-and-more-you-shouldnt-use-in-medical-news/ https://twitter.com/OttawaCitizen/status/1361426796126830597
A scary @statnews Op-Ed warns that govt attempts to rein in Pharma may cut off access to "life-changing" drugs.
It takes @garyschwitzer to let us know: the author spent 10 years as Pfizer's public-policy chief. https://twitter.com/garyschwitzer/status/1360325022578053123
.@TranspariMED criticizes STAT op-ed for not disclosing pharma funding of author’s institute - similar to criticism we’ve made of STAT op-eds in the past. @transparify @ThinkTankWatch @icer_review https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2021/02/transparency-watchdog-criticizes-stats-non-disclosure-on-pro-pharma-op-ed/
Comments
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Chris
February 11, 2011 at 4:50 pmExcellent
Carolyn Thomas
February 16, 2011 at 11:04 amThanks so much for posting this beautifully compelling video poem.
As a heart attack survivor, I can relate to the endless numbers, letters, the colour yellow, and of course those”flat lines interrupted by a pattern of steeples and languid waves” that all cardiac patients get used to staring at in quiet desperation.
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