Grant Number:	5R01CA104721-02 Interpret this number
Primary Investigator:	Schwartz, Lisa
Organization:	Dartmouth College
Project Title:	Improving the Quality of News Reporting on Medicine
Fiscal Year:	2005

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Context -- The news media has a powerful influence on public perceptions about health. Several studies, however, have raised questions about how well the press covers medical issues, pointing out errors and misleading statistical presentations. Such problems are not surprising. Journalists generally receive no training in how to interpret or discuss medical research. And medical journals, the most common source of stories, currently do little to make the journalist's job easier. Long-term objectives -- To help journalists to better cover medical research and to help improve communication between journalists and the medical journals, we will: (1) Develop and evaluate news report quality criteria for media reporting on medical issues; (2) Develop and evaluate press guides to facilitate and standardize communication between medical journals and journalists; (3) Develop and evaluate a primer to train journalists in how to interpret and report on medical research. Specific Aims Aim I: Conduct formal psychometric testing to establish the validity, reliability and sensibility of the news report quality criteria as an outcome measure for subsequent studies in Aims II and III. Aim II: Work with 4 major medical journals (Ann Intern Med, BMJ, JAMA, and J NaU Cancer Inst) to refine the press guide and develop a process for its implementation. We will evaluate how journalists respond to the press guide and conduct randomized trials to see whether press guides improve the quality of reporting (using Aim criteria). Aim III: Develop a primer for journalists with practical advice on how to interpret and report on medical research. We will assess the effect of the primer in a randomized controlled trial involving staff newspaper healthcare journalists. The main outcome measures will be whether the primer improves critical reading skills and the quality of reporting (using Aim I criteria). Significance -- this project will help by developing methods to evaluate media coverage of medical issues and by promoting balanced health messages in the media. Balanced news coverage will help patients (and their physicians) better understand the importance of research findings and the benefits of medical interventions -- in turn, this will help to promote informed decision making.




Do Physicians Understand Cancer Screening Statistics? A National Survey Of Primary Care Physicians In The United States
Authors: Wegwarth O. , Schwartz L.M. , Woloshin S. , Gaissmaier W. , Gigerenzer G. .
Source: Annals Of Internal Medicine, 2012-03-06 00:00:00.0; 156(5), p. 340-9.
PMID: 22393129
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Promoting Healthy Skepticism In The News: Helping Journalists Get It Right
Authors: Woloshin S. , Schwartz L.M. , Kramer B.S. .
Source: Journal Of The National Cancer Institute, 2009-12-02 00:00:00.0; 101(23), p. 1596-9.
PMID: 19933445
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Press Releases By Academic Medical Centers: Not So Academic?
Authors: Woloshin S. , Schwartz L.M. , Casella S.L. , Kennedy A.T. , Larson R.J. .
Source: Annals Of Internal Medicine, 2009-05-05 00:00:00.0; 150(9), p. 613-8.
PMID: 19414840
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Using A Drug Facts Box To Communicate Drug Benefits And Harms: Two Randomized Trials
Authors: Schwartz L.M. , Woloshin S. , Welch H.G. .
Source: Annals Of Internal Medicine, 2009-04-21 00:00:00.0; 150(8), p. 516-27.
PMID: 19221371
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The Risk Of Death By Age, Sex, And Smoking Status In The United States: Putting Health Risks In Context
Authors: Woloshin S. , Schwartz L.M. , Welch H.G. .
Source: Journal Of The National Cancer Institute, 2008-06-18 00:00:00.0; 100(12), p. 845-53.
PMID: 18544745
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The Drug Facts Box: Providing Consumers With Simple Tabular Data On Drug Benefit And Harm
Authors: Schwartz L.M. , Woloshin S. , Welch H.G. .
Source: Medical Decision Making : An International Journal Of The Society For Medical Decision Making, 2007 Sep-Oct; 27(5), p. 655-62.
PMID: 17873258
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The Effectiveness Of A Primer To Help People Understand Risk: Two Randomized Trials In Distinct Populations
Authors: Woloshin S. , Schwartz L.M. , Welch H.G. .
Source: Annals Of Internal Medicine, 2007-02-20 00:00:00.0; 146(4), p. 256-65.
PMID: 17310049
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Ratio Measures In Leading Medical Journals: Structured Review Of Accessibility Of Underlying Absolute Risks
Authors: Schwartz L.M. , Woloshin S. , Dvorin E.L. , Welch H.G. .
Source: Bmj (clinical Research Ed.), 2006-12-16 00:00:00.0; 333(7581), p. 1248.
PMID: 17060338
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Giving Legs To Restless Legs: A Case Study Of How The Media Helps Make People Sick
Authors: Woloshin S. , Schwartz L.M. .
Source: Plos Medicine, 2006 Apr; 3(4), p. e170.
PMID: 16597175
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Patients and medical statistics. Interest, confidence, and ability.
Authors: Woloshin S. , Schwartz L.M. , Welch H.G. .
Source: Journal Of General Internal Medicine, 2005 Nov; 20(11), p. 996-1000.
PMID: 16307623
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Reducing The Risk That Patients Get It Wrong
Authors: Woloshin S. , Schwartz L.M. .
Source: Gastroenterology, 2005 Aug; 129(2), p. 748-50.
PMID: 16083729
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The Exaggerated Relations Between Diet, Body Weight And Mortality: The Case For A Categorical Data Approach
Authors: Welch H.G. , Schwartz L.M. , Woloshin S. .
Source: Cmaj : Canadian Medical Association Journal = Journal De L'association Medicale Canadienne, 2005-03-29 00:00:00.0; 172(7), p. 891-5.
PMID: 15795411
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