Monthly Archives: October 2009

Some safety lessons from US health care

October 24, 2009 – 9:41 am

The United States health system often cops a bad press, but it has some lessons for us when it comes to reporting on quality, says our correspondent in Washington, Dr Lesley Russell. She writes: “Last week the 2009 annual report from the National Committee for Quality Assurance  (NCQA) was released. The NCQA is a private, [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in adverse events, health reform, quality and safety of health care | Comments (3)

More on Dr Coca-Cola

October 23, 2009 – 9:48 am

For those who’ve been following the Croakey debate on the “healthy” rebranding of soft drinks, here’s an interesting story from the LA Times health blog following up the implications of health and medical organisations taking funding from soft drink companies and other vested interests. It turns out the doctors aren’t the only ones taking Coca-Cola’s [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in dental care, Food, health & medical marketing, public health | Comments (0)

In case you need some light relief on a Friday

October 23, 2009 – 9:20 am

Years ago, I wrote a story about the use of music in operating theatres to create the right ambience for concentration. This, however, is something else. In case it’s been a long week…. I will spare you the colorectal surgeon song. Well, maybe not. There is plenty more where they came from, but I will [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in surgery, Uncategorized | Tagged | Comments (0)

Has cancer screening been oversold? Cancer Council responds

October 22, 2009 – 6:56 pm

The New York Times, as previously mentioned, is reporting a shift in screening policy at the the American Cancer Society, which is now saying that the benefits of early detection of  many cancers, especially breast and prostate, have been “overstated”. “We don’t want people to panic,” Dr Otis Brawley, the Society’s chief medical officer told [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in cancer, consumer health information, Media-related issues, screening | Tagged , , | Comments (2)

The soft drink wars heat up

October 22, 2009 – 8:59 am

The debate between Derek Yach of PepsiCo and public health sceptics is being watched from afar. Obesity control expert Professor Boyd Swinburn has sent in his observations while travelling in the US. He writes: “I am currently in Boston and read with interest the comments about Derek Yach and Pepsi’s PR mission to Australia. The [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in Food, health & medical marketing, obesity, public health | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

PepsiCo responds…

October 22, 2009 – 8:51 am

As previously mentioned in Croakey posts and in this Crikey story, a tobacco control advocate turned senior PepsiCo executive, Derek Yach, recently debated public health nutritionist Rosemary Stanton at the University of Sydney. He has asked for right of reply to the Crikey piece. He writes: “The pity is that Melissa clearly did not absorb [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in Food, health & medical marketing, obesity, public health | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

A cancer story that will set the cat among the pigeons

October 21, 2009 – 7:37 pm

Gina Kolata has just published a story in the New York Times that is going to create international waves which will be felt for some time. She reports that the American Cancer Society – a longtime advocate for most cancer screening – “is now saying that the benefits of detecting many cancers, especially breast and [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in cancer, public health, screening | Tagged , | Comments (5)

Has medical journalism sold its soul?

October 21, 2009 – 7:17 pm

That’s the title of an opinion piece that an American professor of medicine, Nortin Hadler, has written for ABC News in the US. Hadler argues that “health journalism is more beleaguered than most other specialties by the financial crunch that faces the entire Fourth Estate”, and is particularly alarmed by the influence of sophisticated medical [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in Media-related issues | Tagged | Comments (3)

What’s the real story on soft drinks and public health?

October 21, 2009 – 6:30 pm

Following on from the previous post about the healthy rebranding of soft drinks, Terry Slevin of Cancer Council WA, has sent in the following comment: “To my frustration I missed the Rosemary and Derek show at Sydney Uni – but it would have been a bit of a drive home… But it seems we are [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in Food, health & medical marketing, public health | Comments (1)

Does public health want to be best friends with soft drinks industry?

October 21, 2009 – 1:52 pm

I wrote a piece for Crikey today looking at how the soft drink companies are trying to rebrand themselves as the new best friends of public health. In the US, Coca Cola has done a deal with the American Academy of Family Physicians new corporate membership program, enabling it to help “educate consumers about the [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in Food, health & medical marketing, public health | Tagged , , | Comments (6)