Search Results for "5-star friday"
5-Star Friday: The obvious and the obscure
The 5-star writing we feature below highlights an interesting contrast: the obvious and the obscure. On the one hand, I’m guessing it’s fairly obvious to many of us that some physicians have ties to industry money; but on the other hand, is it widely known that some doctors and medical journals are blatantly refusing to […]
5-Star Friday: Assumptions
Many of the medical truths we hold to be self-evident are actually assumptions. Our 5-Star selections this week are good examples. Many of us assume medical devices are rigorously tested before going to market. That bed rest keeps premature labor at bay. Or, that electronic medical records (EMRs) will make health care delivery more streamlined […]
5-Star Friday: Simplicity
Health care is complex, but so much of its excellence and effectiveness comes from simplicity. Our 5-star selections this week are good examples of this. Our first story features a world leader in cancer who believes in simple and straightforward communication of risk, but challenges the prevailing notion that cancer screening is a “simple” and […]
5-Star Friday: Movers & shakers
There are voices in healthcare that don’t get heard nearly enough; certainly the general public may not even know they exist. That’s understandable in a time when many of us feel swamped by too much information coming at us from too many directions. It can be difficult to sift through all the choices and separate […]
5-Star Friday: Integrity
Sometimes all it takes is a little Bob Marley; not just his music, but quotes like this: “The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.” When integrity is lost — especially by those who we expect it […]
5-Star Friday: Trust
A core value that medicine and journalism share is trust. In the increasingly complicated world of health care we often have no choice but to place our trust in medical professionals, researchers, hospitals, and state/federal agencies. One could argue when that trust is violated — as highlighted in many of the stories featured below — […]
5-Star Friday: Unexpected endings
Like a classic thriller from the silver screen, today’s 5-star selections feature an unexpected twist — whether that’s the surprising path to recovery that some people find from opioid addiction; the shocking way that a patient group found itself exploited by the drug industry; or the remarkable truth about your metabolism and how it differs […]
5-Star Friday: Give us more!
It’s not hard to fathom why many people think more medicine is better; after all, the word “healthcare” is made up of two principles we typically value and want more of. But we’ve gotten to a point where the medicalization of our lives — and the mega-profits and harms that come with it — are […]
5-Star Friday: Exposing hidden realities of health care
Expose • (verb) / ikˈspōz/ • Make (something) visible, typically by uncovering it • “At low tide the sands are exposed” • Synonyms: reveal, uncover, lay bare. Undoubtedly, one of the most important roles journalism plays in society is to expose. The articles we feature below are great examples of this, and we give the reporters […]
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5-Star Friday: Clarity
Sometimes things are clear as mud. This 5-star Friday is a good example. Take three of our choices below: drug companies that aren’t drug companies, a tick-borne illness that may or may not be a disease, and the very human urge to be drawn to the repulsive. Other times things are quite clear. As in […]
5-Star Friday: Celebrating some slow journalism
We’ve just wrapped up a busy week of scrutinizing the news coverage of the world’s largest cancer meeting. In many ways medical meetings symbolize what is functional and dysfunctional about our current health care system. On the plus side, you’ll find a host of incredibly talented and committed providers eager to learn and eager to […]
5-Star Friday: Put these gems on your weekend reading list
Journalists as watchdogs. Safeguarding the public’s interests. We need you now more than ever. If only because the medical industrial complex sometimes has a different set of priorities. Different interests. William Mayo, one of the founders of the Mayo Clinic, once said: “The best interest of the patient is the only interest to be considered.” […]
5-Star Friday: Drugs, mice, and money
I doubt a week goes by at HealthNewsReview.org that we don’t write about one of the following … … drugs, mice, or money. You could rightly accuse me of being predictable when I say that following the money has gotten trickier in health care journalism; that pharma as a lobbyist makes the auto industry of […]
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5-Star Friday: Smörgåsbord
Full disclosure: there is no theme that neatly ties together all the fantastic stories our staff have picked out for this 5-Star Friday. It’s an incredible smörgåsbord which, if nothing else, serves as a reminder of just how vast the health care beat is. There’s some really provocative reporting and writing here. Have a look […]
5-star Friday: Hiding in plain sight
Part of the mission of good health care journalism is to see the problems hiding in plain sight and make them visible to readers and the public. Whether it’s the perverse impact of pharmacy middlemen on drug prices, or the downstream consequences of shuttered local newspapers on public health, this week’s 5-star stories call attention […]
