World Health Editors Network (WHEN)
Who’s There? Yes
A Journalism and Health Initiative
World Health Assembly 66
GENEVA
19-23 May 2013
Enter the Stadium - Democratise knowledge - Bring it home
Health Literacy- A consumer perspective
Dario Manfellotto
Scientific consultant, Italian Radio and Television (RAI)
May, 19, 2013
HEALTH
RAISING INTEREST OF MEDIA
•
•
•
•
•
•
Events
Testimonials
News
Epidemiological data
Surveys of opinion
Creation of a “welfare community”
Avoid the scoopism!
Breaking headlines on health news
• “Scientists find first breakthrough against
Alzheimer’s”
• “Researchers believe treatment for
osteoporosis is ready”
• “A vaccine against AIDS is available”
News is anything that interests a large part of the
community and has never been brought to its attention
before
• The case of U2 syndrome: if an editor or anchor or
reporter becomes interested in something, then you
too must be interested
• The classical 5W, who, what, where, when and why
cannot be applied. General news are based on facts
and sources, while medical news are based on data,
probabilities and conclusions
HEALTH
RAISING INTEREST OF MEDIA
• Teaching in medical and professional schools
• Education of the public
• Meeting doctors/patients/journalists
• Increase the role of nurses and other professionals
If you increase the awareness of health
as a social target, you may also increase
the appeal of media
In the field of promotion of healthy
life-styles the target is the agreement
on a set of clear, consistent, focused
and positive messages based on current
scientific knowledge, so that they
may reach the general population
and be accepted and followed.
Those who labor in the
vineyard of medical journalism
do more good than harm, and
usually provide medical
consumers with useful and
accurate informations that
they can use to make
important medical decisions
about themselves and their
loved ones
Timothy Johnson, Editor ABC
News
NEJM 1998
The more the community
of health professionals
at all levels and health
reporters in the media work
together to produce a set
of clear, consistent, focused,
positive messages based
on the body of current
scientific knowledge,
the sooner recommendations
for a correct approach
will be accepted and
followed
L ' e d u c a z io n e a lla s a lu t e
c o m u n ic a z io n e
in fo r m a z io n e
d iv u lg a z io n e
e d u c a z io n e
“Empowerment” of
patient/citizen
Is it good ?
Is it bad ?
KEYWORDS IN THE HEADLINE
%
DRUG
38.0
DISEASE
35.9
TREATMENT
23.2
ORGAN
7.7
DOCTOR/MEDICINE
2.8
RESEARCH
4.2
PATIENT
1.4
OTHER
1.4
HEALTH IS DESCRIBED AS
Absence of disease
22.7%
Sense of weel-being
27.2%
Something to preserve
34%
Something to promote
9%
A value
6.8%
AUDIENCE OF TV MEDICAL PROGRAMMES
Tg2 Salute
Rai Due
Medicina 33
Rai Due
Elisir
Rai Tre
2.399.831 2.059.534
775.951
761.333
1.552.869 1.272.870
1.327.001 1.016.476
419.346
157.542
256.350
252.538
2.476.475
984.553
1.433.046
1.642.622
Check-up
Rai Uno
Audience
Mean
Males
Females
>55 yrs
Medici
Rete 4
1.193.311
370.265
802.577
646.977
Vivere
meglio
Rete 4
246.037
90.353
155.231
140.348
Source:CensisAuditel 2012
SOURCES OF HEALTH INFORMATION
General Pratictioner
Relatives
Pharmacist
Friends
TV Programmes
Colleagues
Medical Magazines
Lay Press
Internet
%
63.6
12.2
6.4
7.4
30.3
3.6
13.8
21.9
2
Sources of health information
1987-2012 comparison
1987
2012
Medico di famiglia
63
65
Parenti, amici, colleghi
12
23
Farmacista
6
6
Televisione
30
40
Riviste di salute
13
17
Quotidiani con supplementi salute
21
17
-
50
Internet
Fonte : Censis
ARTICLES ON HEALTH
ISSUES PER YEAR
NEWSMAGAZINES
21.8%
WOMEN’S MAGAZINES
15.4%
MEDICAL MAGAZINES
DAILY NEWSPAPERS
166.6%
4.7%
CHANGE OF PTS BEHAVIOUR AS A RESULT
OF MEDIA REPORTS
58% didn’t change behaviour
42% sought other informations
53% their doctor was happy to talk about
7% their doctor wasn’t happy
45% improved relationship with the doctor
80% didn’t question their doctor’s advice
Informations requested by patients
16%
21%
63%
Poche informazioni essenziali
Informazioni approfondite
Informazioni specifiche per decidere autonomamente
Fonte :Censis
What is it more important if you have a health problem ?
16%
84%
Trovare subito il rimedio più efficace
Capire cosa sta succedendo
Fonte : Censis
Modern sources of health communication
•BANCHE DATI DELLE SOCIETA’ SCIENTIFICHE
•UFFICI PUBBLICI DI INFORMAZIONE
•ORGANIZZAZIONI DI PAZIENTI
•ASSOCIAZIONI PUBBLICHE DI PREVENZIONE DI MALATTIA
•ASSOCIAZIONI CONSUMATORI E CITTADINI
•MASS MEDIA e INTERNET
•CENTRI DI CULTURA SANITARIA
•HEALTH EDUCATION COUNCIL (G.B.)
CENTRO PER LA QUALITA’ DELLA EDUCAZIONE SANITARIA
EHCN (European Health Communication Network)
Ethical guidelines for health communicators
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Seek to do no harm. Human rights and the public good are
paramount.
Get it right. Check your facts and your sources, even if deadlines
are put at risk.
Do not raise false hopes. Be especially careful when reporting on
claims for miracle cures or potential health scares.
Beware of vested interests. Ask yourself, “Who benefits most from
this story?”.
Reject personal inducements. Always make it clear if material is
being published as a result of sponsorship.
Never disclose the source of information imparted in confidence.
Respect the privacy of the sick, the handicapped and their families
at all times.
Be mindfull of the consequences of your story.
Remember that individuals who may be sick or handicapped –
especially children – have lives to live long after the media have
lost interest.
Never intrude on private grief. Respect the feelings of the
bereaved, especially when dealing with disasters. Wherever
possible avoid close-up photography on television images of
victims or their families.
If in doubt, leave it out.
Linee guida per la comunicazione delle epidemie
- costruire, mantenere e ricreare fiducia
- annunciare presto e in modo chiaro
- dare messaggi trasparenti: comunicazione semplice, completa e
accurata nei dati e nei resoconti
- comprendere quello che pensa il pubblico per inviare messaggi
chiari
- pianificazione delle azioni da fare basata su analisi e gestione
del rischio
As the former Italian Minister for Health and
distinguished researcher Umberto Veronesi
said, “the cultural evolution of medicine will
bring all of us from the welfare state to the
welfare community, that is from the State
protecting everybody, to the community of
citizens who think of how to self-protect from
diseases”.
Non è la scienza che crea i moderni
mostri e le nuove streghe. La colpa,
semmai, è dei divulgatori scientifici e dei
mass-media che spesso sono male
informati ed approssimativi
Rita Levi Montalcini, Venezia 1993
Dosso Dossi, Giove, Mercurio e la Virtù, 1524