Download Getting the Story

Science, Medicine and Health
Why Cover Science, Medicine
and Health?
 The
past 20 years have brought an explosion in
the public’s appetite for news about science,
medicine and health.
 Atomic Bombs, Germ Warfare, Chemical
Warfare, Cancer, AIDS, Implants
 The race for space, open-heart surgery, organ
transplants, reattachments, T-cells and robotic
prostheses.
Stories on the Beat
Research Studies
 Health Effects
 New Treatments
 Health-Care Delivery

Occupational health
 Alternative Medicine
 Legal and Ethical Issues
 ‘Translating Science’

Research Studies
 The
New England Journal of Medicine
 University of Michigan
 Duke University
 Johns Hopkins
 M.D. Anderson
 Oschner Clinic
 Masters and Johnson
Research
Studies
Health Effects
 General
Health
– What to eat?
– What to drink?
– Studies about decaffeinated coffee and
caffeinated coffee
– Vitamin C for colds or heart disease
– Oatmeal for your cholesterol
New Treatments
 Stories
about new treatments should explain
their success rates, related dangers and side
effects.
 Cost can also be a factor. Very Expensive
 Not covered by insurance
 New procedures with new machines can run
up tremendous costs.
Health Care Delivery
 From
the cradle to the
grave.
 Medical Science and
modern health care
continue to extend the
average life span of
Americans.
 As people live longer,
the cost of medical care
rises rapidly.
Occupational Health
 Occupational
Health and Safety
Administration (OSHA)
 Occupational Health and Safety News
Digest
 OSHA's Job Safety & Health
Quarterly Magazine
– http://www.osha-slc.gov/html/jshq-index.html
Alternative Medicine
 Biofeedback
 Acupuncture
 Chiropractor
 Herbs
 Magnets
 Copper,
silver, gold
 Peach pits
Legal and Ethical Issues
 State
Medicare rules and regulations may
disallow certain life-saving procedures like
bone marrow transplants.
 Fund-raising efforts for the child who
cannot afford treatment puts the news media
in a position of choosing who gets the story
and who doesn’t.
‘Translating Science’
 deoxyribonucleic
acid (DNA)
 DNA is
used in all types of
investigations from paternity
suits to forensics.
 Many
victims of the WTC
disaster are being identified from
DNA from their ashes.
Covering the Beat
 Gathering
Background
– NEXIS, Reader’s Guide to Periodicals
 Dealing
with Sources
– The Public Information Officer, Press Releases,
Always do your homework
‘Selling Science’
 Showing
off research to get the publicity
serves the science community well if they
want to apply for grants.
 Breakthroughs in research may be just
milestones in a certain project.
 Exploitation of the press can also get certain
researchers advancement or job offers
elsewhere.
Covering Local Health Care
Regulation of Medical
Providers
 Universities and
Medical Centers
 Local Corporations

Changing Focus
 The Medical Marketplace
 Quality of Care

Writing About Research
 Handling
Complex Information
– Avoid Jargon, Provide Background, Make it
Familiar and Simple, Use Numbers
 The
Reluctant Scientist
– Scientists speak and write in a precise language
often understood only by other scientists.
– Professional groups offer workshops for
medical and science writers.
Specialized Dictionaries
 The
Facts on File Dictionary of Health
Care Management
 The Encyclopedia and Dictionary of
Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health
 Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary
 Dictionary of Behavioral Science
 The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Science
 The Facts on File Dictionary of Science
The End