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Half of all medical reporting, subject to spin.

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/09September/Pages/Half-of-all-medical-reporting-is-subject-to-spin.aspx

A study that you probably won’t be reading in your daily paper or favourite news website anytime soon casts serious doubts on the reliability of mainstream medical and health journalism.
The study found that 51% of news items reporting on medical trials – specifically on randomised controlled trials (RCTs), which are seen as the gold standard in judging whether a treatment is effective or safe – were subject to “spin”.
 

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
Thank you for this Tania. As Angela Kennedy points out in her book, (almost?) no psychopsychiatric research is or can be Gold Standard. How do you double blind an RCT like that? The researchers will know which is the control, and so will the patients. So the "Gold Standard" is really a "Lead Standard" and spin is used to promote it as gold.
 

jimells

Senior Member
Messages
2,009
Location
northern Maine

Only half?

This is certainly not unique to medical reporting. As far as I'm concerned, the only reason to follow mainstream media reports on anything is to get a general idea of what the establishment propaganda machine is currently promoting. To understand what is really happening requires an understanding of history, careful followup, and analysis. Sometimes I can do that. Sometimes I can't.

Most folks don't have the time, inclination, and jaundiced eye required. It's not their fault. They're too exhausted from spinning that hamster wheel...
 

Enid

Senior Member
Messages
3,309
Location
UK
It really is looking like two layers of medicine happening now - those who quietly come into to research and aid those bent on personal glory regardless.