Science, Medicine and Health

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Science, Medicine and Health
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Why Cover Science, Medicine and Health?

• The past 20 years have brought an explosion in
  the publics 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.

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Stories on the Beat

• Research Studies
• Health Effects
• New Treatments
• Health-Care Delivery

• Occupational health
• Alternative Medicine
• Legal and Ethical Issues
• Translating Science

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Research Studies

• The New England Journal of Medicine
• University of Michigan
• Duke University
• Johns Hopkins
• M.D. Anderson
• Oschner Clinic
• Masters and Johnson

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Research Studies
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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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Alternative Medicine

• Biofeedback
• Acupuncture
• Chiropractor
• Herbs
• Magnets
• Copper, silver, gold
• Peach pits

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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
  doesnt.

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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.

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Covering the Beat

• Gathering Background
• NEXIS, Readers Guide to Periodicals
• Dealing with Sources
• The Public Information Officer, Press Releases,
  Always do your homework

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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.

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Covering Local Health Care

• Regulation of Medical Providers
• Universities and Medical Centers
• Local Corporations

• Changing Focus
• The Medical Marketplace
• Quality of Care

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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.

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Specialized Dictionaries

• The Facts on File Dictionary of Health Care
  Management
• The Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine,
  Nursing and Allied Health
• Dorlands Illustrated Medical Dictionary
• Dictionary of Behavioral Science
• The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Science
• The Facts on File Dictionary of Science

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The End