CDC's Health Out Loud ... Entertainment and public health belong together

Here at the School of Rural Public Health, we are often encouraged to think about innovative ways of including public health messages in general media. Specifically at our school, because of our proximity to the Mexican border, we often discuss telenovelas, popular soap operas that have previously been used to disseminate information to disadvantaged Hispanic populations. These are very well-received and prompt a significant change (in some cases), when paired with other public health efforts.

I be you didn't know that the exact same thing happens on American television! Check out the CDC's blog today about a new episode of "Army Wives" that addresses the topic of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Link here.

Here's also a link to the actual video clip in which TBI is discussed.


Although this approach is nothing new (I've read documents dating back to the 70's that address public health in the media), it's interesting to see how issues have changed, and how they may have remained the same.

One of the biggest issues we face as public health practitioners is the continued portrayal of illness as:

• Quickly cured


• Affecting only white, middle-class patients


• Exotic and difficult to define (i.e., not diabetes ... instead, amnesia!)

This, frankly, is not what illness is in this nation. We are a group of people with chronic conditions that are fairly common. We have high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, heart disease ... none of which are particularly glamorous. Trauma makes for better TV, but it doesn't help Americans understand the health care system.

I have to admit that I am particularly fond of the TLC show that shows true stories from the ER; although some of the ailments are sensationalized, we get a feeling for what might actually happen in an Emergency Department, rather than what Hollywood would have us believe. Teens actually do come in after overdosing on drugs, for example, and car crashes are among the leading causes of preventable deaths for Americans in general. The TLC show portrays these events accurately, in my opinion.

In essence, I hope that we see more information dispersal like this clip from Army Wives. Although it wasn't on a major network, I think it portrayed a fairly realistic situation. We have an obligation, as public health professionals, to promote these surreptitious but effective mechanisms for social change.

Interpersonal communication with your doctor ... improvements on the way?

Today's New York Times featured a front-page article about a new interview process that is being used in medical schools throughout the nation, most notably the newest in Roanoake, VA:

Medical schools require people skills

The interview process involves an increased emphasis on patient-doctor interaction. This approach attempts to minimize the number of ranking medical professionals who inappropriately bully their staff or surpress patient interaction. Instead, a new focus is emerging that will ostensibly prevent patient injury by improving the population of doctors with developed communications skills.

In other words, your doctor won't be a jackass who orders nurses around and refuses to listen to your complaints.

This is a concept that I have been championing informally for the past several years after a series of difficult interactions with medical professionals. I understand that the technical side of medicine is important; after all, if you don't know what kind of medication to prescribe for a specific ailment, you're unlikely to be a good physician. On the other hand, though, I think it's important for doctors to realize that suffering from an illness is a very scary and emotional time for most people. Even a minor injury or condition can cause significant emotional stress because of the uncertainty and lack of control the patient experiences.

It is imperative that our modern medical establishment transition from the "doctor-on-high" perspective to a system that promotes team-based cures; that is, we should involve the patients in their own recovery instead of only dictating their courses of action. This is likely to encourage better compliance because the patients feel invested in their own health plan.

I think this new interviewing method is a fantastic concept. However, I wonder how many people will simply attempt to "study" their way around the interview by training on specific ethical questions instead of learning how to truly communicate. I believe that might be a significant problem, especially considering the characteristics of many students who are interested in applying to medical school. Potential physicians may see this test as simply another barrier to prepare for, instead of understanding the true value of communication in the healthcare setting.

I truly hope that this approach is a harbinger of a new direction for the healthcare establishment.