This release suggests that it’s possible to use an fMRI brain scan to diagnose diseases or conditions. That is very premature. Diagnostic tests have yet to be developed.
This release challenges one set of recommendations for who should be screened for “prediabetes” and type 2 diabetes but doesn’t offer strong evidence to make its claim that expanded screening is the answer.
The headline and text repeatedly imply the approach could “prevent women from getting HIV infection,” but saves the fact that the study is in rabbits for the very end.
The release also claims that the device reduces costs by 50% and PTSD by 90% — again without providing any evidence or study references.
An important financial conflict of interest and any discussion of potential harms were left out of the release.
As new drug combos come on line for difficult to treat cancers like uterine serous carcinoma (USC), researchers claim success in terms of months, not years. Increasingly, months of progression-free survival — not overall survival — is reported as the clinical trial endpoint. But taking into account harms and costs, is that cause for celebration?
This news release makes recommendations on a very important topic — when lymph node biopsies may not be necessary in breast cancer diagnosis — and deserved more details.
You have to read the study to learn that acupressure delivered via smart phone app was an add-on therapy and not a replacement for traditional treatments for menstrual pain.
In addition, some information on costs and the study limitations would have made this a stronger news release.
This was a safety trial involving only 17 patients so right out of the gate this news release misleads by claiming “effectiveness in 93 percent of pediatric patients tested.”
Systematic, Criteria-Driven
A mother read a news story about a new medical procedure. Her son got it. He died. https://t.co/Ab17Qd3BhC @HealthNewsRevu
Our first installment in the series published this morning. Please help us tell more of these stories.
https://t.co/GSkyLxwCfy
Great idea for a series @HealthNewsRevu : How Misleading Media Coverage of Health Topics Can Lead to Patient Harm: https://t.co/lTd9XtL72V
Tips for Understanding Studies
