Monday, January 19, 2009

Medical advice on television

The New York Times published an article on Sunday about the syndicated television show The Doctors. The Doctors is a show where a panel of physicians offer medical advice, often about topics that patients might find embarrassing to bring up to their own physician face-to-face. The show has quickly gained popularity, matching the audience of other, more established talk shows.

The article points out that the success of the show points to the public appetite for health information, especially in financially difficult times and for those without health insurance. The producers and hosts of the show, as well as health advocates, remind audiences that the information in the show is not intended to replace a visit your own doctor, but rather, supplement it.

So what do you think of the popularity of this show? What cautions do you think the show should take? What would make this tool even better for patients? How can this show facilitate patient-physician face-to-face communication?

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