September 23, 2004

Health care only 4th on voters' minds?

The New England Journal of Medicine today publishes a study by Harvard's Bob Blendon and colleagues showing that health care is only the fourth most important issue for voters in 2004.

The failure of journalists to report on health care issues in a meaningful, comprehensive, analytical manner in this election year may be an important factor in these findings.

Journalism's agenda-setting capability is well established. I propose that journalism helped put health care in fourth place, instead of higher. Yes, there are excellent exceptions, just not enough and not often enough.

The researchers say their data suggest that voters are not focused heavily on the problem of the nation's 45 million uninsured.

What will it take?

Posted by schwitz at September 23, 2004 01:19 PM
Comments

What will it take to get journalists and voters more focused on health care issues in this election? Well, I assume the number one issue is the war in Iraq. If there was some way to combine these two issues, it would garner more attention. Hmmm... perhaps if a civil war started over health care issues? That would get some attention!

Seriously, I think 4th is a good rank for an issue like this that is harder for people to comprehend. Lack of health care coverage is one of those insiduous things that slowly impacts people, compared to war, which impacts families right away when their loved ones leave or are killed.

Posted by: Marie Zhuikov at September 24, 2004 08:29 AM

I don't know how the war will start, but it should. Haven't journalists been accused of being warmongers in the past??

Besides the effects of years of neglect, thinking about the devastating results of 'bad' care in the short term might be worthwhile.

I've heard more than one (un- or underinsured) person say that no insurance (for example) is no big deal. If they got into an accident or had some critical illness, they'd just go to the emergency room and they'd get "treated" there.


Marilyn

Posted by: Marilyn Meinke-Murphy at September 24, 2004 11:44 AM

And also with issues of health care policy there tends not to be a news peg on which to hang an article -- it's harder to publish articles on on-going issues rather than an event like the next "breakthrough".

Posted by: Maia Dock at September 26, 2004 10:09 AM
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