Schwitzer health news blog tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2009-06-16:/schwitz/healthnews//704 2009-12-21T18:03:19Z THIS BLOG - AT THIS ADDRESS WILL BE DISCONTINUED WITHIN A FEW WEEKS. IN 20 SECONDS YOU WILL BE REDIRECTED to my new blog on the HealthNewsReview.org site. PLEASE BOOKMARK THE NEW BLOG SITE. Movable Type Enterprise 4.31-en The U's most active blog is shutting down tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2009:/schwitz/healthnews//704.211025 2009-12-21T17:52:07Z 2009-12-21T18:03:19Z Since September 2004 this has been my home for blogging about health journalism, health care, health policy, health care advertising and marketing, etc. Now it's time to shut it down. I've moved my blogging activities to http://www.healthnewsreview.org/blog/, which I encourage... Gary Schwitzer Since September 2004 this has been my home for blogging about health journalism, health care, health policy, health care advertising and marketing, etc.

Now it's time to shut it down. I've moved my blogging activities to http://www.healthnewsreview.org/blog/, which I encourage all of you to bookmark.

I retire this blog after seeing it become the most active blog (most entries) out of 8,395 on the University's U Think Blog network. (A password protected job posting site is technically listed as #1 above mine, but that doesn't fit anyone's definition of a blog.)

1,580 entries.

It's been a lot of fun and I think it's served a purpose. But the fun and the purpose continue on the new blog, so please add it to your list of places to visit daily.

Thanks for your continued interest.

]]> Cancer center ads that play on fear and emotion tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2009:/schwitz/healthnews//704.210952 2009-12-19T15:01:28Z 2009-12-19T15:03:55Z Natasha Singer of the New York Times has an important story on cancer center advertising, including embedding actual radio, TV and print ads in the online version of the article. http://www.healthnewsreview.org/blog/2009/12/nyt-story-examines-criticism-of-cancer-center-ads.html... Gary Schwitzer Natasha Singer of the New York Times has an important story on cancer center advertising, including embedding actual radio, TV and print ads in the online version of the article.

http://www.healthnewsreview.org/blog/2009/12/nyt-story-examines-criticism-of-cancer-center-ads.html

]]> Wisdom of the crowds commenting on troubled health news stories tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2009:/schwitz/healthnews//704.210886 2009-12-18T20:06:42Z 2009-12-18T20:10:48Z Yesterday we commented on a hospital chaplain/blogger who critiqued a troublesome health news story. Today we bring you the comment of a reader (who happens to have had back pain for a long time) who questions the balance and integrity... Gary Schwitzer Yesterday we commented on a hospital chaplain/blogger who critiqued a troublesome health news story.

Today we bring you the comment of a reader (who happens to have had back pain for a long time) who questions the balance and integrity of a New Jersey news website story that wrote about cutbacks in payments for medical imaging.

See it at:
http://www.healthnewsreview.org/blog/2009/12/reader-questions-balance-integrity-of-nj-web-story-on-medical-imaging-cutbacks.html

]]> Clergyman-blogger unleashes criticism of CNN for disease-mongering story tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2009:/schwitz/healthnews//704.210749 2009-12-17T20:34:14Z 2009-12-17T20:39:31Z I love it when I see smart people blogging their critiques of health care news coverage. So I say "Hallelujah" in response to a hospital-chaplain-blogger's rant about a news story run by CNN and Health.com that made his skin crawl.... Gary Schwitzer I love it when I see smart people blogging their critiques of health care news coverage. So I say "Hallelujah" in response to a hospital-chaplain-blogger's rant about a news story run by CNN and Health.com that made his skin crawl.

http://www.healthnewsreview.org/blog/2009/12/hospital-chaplain-blogger-criticizes-cnn-menopause-disease-mongering.html

]]> THE most jumbled, confusing breast cancer screening info I've seen in the news tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2009:/schwitz/healthnews//704.210560 2009-12-17T16:52:26Z 2009-12-17T16:55:08Z I've seen a lot of awful news coverage on breast cancer screening in the past month or so, but the award (so far) for the worst, most useless, misinformation goes to the CBS Early Show. See why. http://www.healthnewsreview.org/blog/2009/12/cbs-early-shows-confusing-breast-screening-info.html... Gary Schwitzer I've seen a lot of awful news coverage on breast cancer screening in the past month or so, but the award (so far) for the worst, most useless, misinformation goes to the CBS Early Show.

See why.

http://www.healthnewsreview.org/blog/2009/12/cbs-early-shows-confusing-breast-screening-info.html

]]> Time to "tone down the sky is falling" on H1N1? tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2009:/schwitz/healthnews//704.210427 2009-12-16T17:44:28Z 2009-12-16T17:48:17Z Physician-bioethicist Jeffrey Hall Dobken suggests that "perhaps we can tone down the sky-is-falling just a bit" on H1N1. And he includes news coverage in his review of the "tension...reinforced by the endless health warnings." http://www.healthnewsreview.org/blog/2009/12/bioethicist-worries-about-crying-wolf-over-h1n1.html... Gary Schwitzer Physician-bioethicist Jeffrey Hall Dobken suggests that "perhaps we can tone down the sky-is-falling just a bit" on H1N1. And he includes news coverage in his review of the "tension...reinforced by the endless health warnings."

http://www.healthnewsreview.org/blog/2009/12/bioethicist-worries-about-crying-wolf-over-h1n1.html

]]> Understanding the USPSTF breast screening guidelines tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2009:/schwitz/healthnews//704.210402 2009-12-16T16:20:26Z 2009-12-16T16:24:20Z The National Breast Cancer Coalition is offering an online webcast tomorrow to clear up confusion on the recent USPSTF breast cancer screening recommendations. They ask that interested parties register today. The webcast is Thursday, December 17 at 3 pm Eastern... Gary Schwitzer The National Breast Cancer Coalition is offering an online webcast tomorrow to clear up confusion on the recent USPSTF breast cancer screening recommendations.

They ask that interested parties register today.

The webcast is Thursday, December 17 at 3 pm Eastern time.

]]> Local TV news' love affair with scanning and screening tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2009:/schwitz/healthnews//704.210317 2009-12-15T22:39:45Z 2009-12-15T22:41:02Z http://www.healthnewsreview.org/blog/2009/12/the-trifecta-of-tv-health-news-stories-scanners-screening-reporter-involvement.html... Gary Schwitzer http://www.healthnewsreview.org/blog/2009/12/the-trifecta-of-tv-health-news-stories-scanners-screening-reporter-involvement.html

]]> Editorial says coronary artery calcium CT screening "unproven, probably enormously wasteful, costly, docs profiting" tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2009:/schwitz/healthnews//704.210146 2009-12-14T22:57:39Z 2009-12-14T22:59:50Z http://www.healthnewsreview.org/blog/2009/12/questions-about-coronary-artery-calcium-ct-scans.html... Gary Schwitzer http://www.healthnewsreview.org/blog/2009/12/questions-about-coronary-artery-calcium-ct-scans.html

]]> Health/medical journalism? Or plagiarism? tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2009:/schwitz/healthnews//704.209681 2009-12-10T20:03:21Z 2009-12-10T20:09:26Z In the past two weeks, I've discovered three examples of health/medical stories apparently being lifted directly from news releases. One on WebMD and two on HealthDay - here and here. This isn't journalism. In fact, in some of these cases,... Gary Schwitzer In the past two weeks, I've discovered three examples of health/medical stories apparently being lifted directly from news releases.

One on WebMD and two on HealthDay - here and here.

This isn't journalism.

In fact, in some of these cases, the stories are worse than the original news release!

]]> CBS, Sanjay Gupta, tell heart-warming but terribly incomplete story on Berlin Heart tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2009:/schwitz/healthnews//704.209640 2009-12-10T18:26:12Z 2009-12-10T18:34:37Z Warm, touching, but inadequate story of a pro football player's daughter and her path to a heart transplant. The story claims that a heart pump saved the girl's life - when that can't be proven. It also didn't discuss costs,... Gary Schwitzer Warm, touching, but inadequate story of a pro football player's daughter and her path to a heart transplant.

The story claims that a heart pump saved the girl's life - when that can't be proven. It also didn't discuss costs, didn't discuss evidence, didn't discuss some of the known problems with the heart pump - follow the link to see what it did and didn't do.


]]> CNN anchor endorses screening all 6th graders as "worth it" tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2009:/schwitz/healthnews//704.209530 2009-12-10T02:28:19Z 2009-12-10T02:31:07Z Amazing. Do they plan this editorializing in editorial meetings as a way to compete with/resemble Fox News? http://www.healthnewsreview.org/blog/2009/12/cnn-fear-mongering-screening-advocacy-on-kids-hearts-tests.html... Gary Schwitzer Amazing.

Do they plan this editorializing in editorial meetings as a way to compete with/resemble Fox News?

http://www.healthnewsreview.org/blog/2009/12/cnn-fear-mongering-screening-advocacy-on-kids-hearts-tests.html

]]> Tamiflu troubles tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2009:/schwitz/healthnews//704.209248 2009-12-08T21:05:45Z 2009-12-08T21:08:38Z As British physician-writer Ben Goldacre put it: "Tamiflu is pretty marginal as a treatment, and crap as prophylaxis: as we basically already knew."... Gary Schwitzer As British physician-writer Ben Goldacre put it:
"Tamiflu is pretty marginal as a treatment, and crap as prophylaxis: as we basically already knew."

]]> Strib - usually strong on medical conflict of interest stories - fails to see it in their own story tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2009:/schwitz/healthnews//704.209154 2009-12-08T18:23:55Z 2009-12-08T18:27:50Z The Star Tribune, which has done a fine job reporting on University of Minnesota medical school conflict of interest issues, bombed on a story about problems with the FDA's medical device approval process - largely because it failed to counter... Gary Schwitzer The Star Tribune, which has done a fine job reporting on University of Minnesota medical school conflict of interest issues, bombed on a story about problems with the FDA's medical device approval process - largely because it failed to counter the clear conflict of interest in the single source it used! Inexplicable.

]]> Mixed results in news coverage of Texas doc's hopes to screen all US sixth-graders' hearts tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2009:/schwitz/healthnews//704.208949 2009-12-07T20:09:48Z 2009-12-07T20:15:38Z See our review of stories by ABC, CNN, CBS and Houston Chronicle: http://www.healthnewsreview.org/blog/2009/12/failure-to-scrutinize-claims-about-screening-all-us-sixth-graders-hearts.html What's up with all of the aggressive heart screening programs in Texas? (For example, see this past blog entry: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/schwitz/healthnews/2009/09/texas-law-manda-1.html.) Don't they have a lot of uninsured... Gary Schwitzer See our review of stories by ABC, CNN, CBS and Houston Chronicle: http://www.healthnewsreview.org/blog/2009/12/failure-to-scrutinize-claims-about-screening-all-us-sixth-graders-hearts.html

What's up with all of the aggressive heart screening programs in Texas? (For example, see this past blog entry: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/schwitz/healthnews/2009/09/texas-law-manda-1.html.)

Don't they have a lot of uninsured they should be thinking about?

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