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“Berries May Ward Off Parkinson’s Disease” (WebMD)
“Studies show that for kids’ ear infections, antibiotics work better than waiting” (The Washington Post)
“Eat your blueberries! They may cut risk of diabetes and high blood pressure” (Orlando Sentinel)
“Musical Exercise Program Cuts Falls in Elderly” (WebMD)
What do each of these headlines have in common? Several things:
First, they catch our attention. We know kids and elderly people. We know people who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. We worry about developing diabetes or high blood pressure.
Most are actionable. We can eat berries, or get our kids a prescription for an antibiotic. We can play music for Granny, too.
But their third commonality is disconcerting. Every one of those headlines is inaccurate or misleading. Why? Maybe the headline writer didn’t read the article closely enough. In print media, headlines must be abbreviated to fit in small spaces. Sometimes inaccuracy is the fault of the research group that put out the press release the article was based on.
But in all cases, we patients are at fault for believing inaccurate and misleading information when we trust the headline alone, and don’t look further.
Headlines are meant to capture attention. Their intent is to pull us into the article the journalist has carefully written. Then it’s up to us to read the entire article to uncover the details and decide whether the information can truly be useful to us.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself when you hear or read any news story about health.
• Was the study conducted on people? (Or maybe only rats?)
• Were enough people studied, and did they fit the same profile as me? (A study done on men won’t apply to women.)
• Did the study last long enough to show conclusive results?
• How strong is the evidence? (If only 25% showed a positive response, then it may not be conclusive.)
• Is the treatment available to the public? Or is it still found only in a laboratory?
• Are there any conflicts of interest? Who will make money from these study results?
One excellent resource for helping us review health news is www.HealthNewsReview.org. This non-profit organization reviews health and medical headlines from hundreds of resources using 10 questions which you can use, too.
Next time you see a health headline, delve a little deeper. And don’t be too quick to run out to buy those berries.
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Learn more:
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How to Assess Medical Studies Found in Journals and Medical News
When Headlines Aren't Really Headlines |
