Risks get little air time on medical reality TV

Physicians agree with a new report that says the shows give a glimpse of medicine but are not totally realistic.

By Damon Adams, AMNews staff. Nov. 13, 2006.

With the success of "Survivor" and "American Idol," reality TV was bound to spread its contagious appeal to medicine. And has it ever.

Doctors and patients star in real-life dramas such as "Dr. 90210," "Untold Stories of the ER" and "The Biggest Loser," shows that have the airwaves buzzing with battles of the bulge, nips and tucks, and shunning of junk food -- all in the name of good health, and good ratings.

Intrigued by the pairing of reality TV and health, the Kaiser Family Foundation last month assembled TV and health care types to explore this small-screen marriage. A discussion paper for the foundation examined 10 health-based reality shows and their role in providing useful health information and shaping attitudes.

The main findings: Beauty and sex appeal are key themes; physicians are depicted as courageous and intelligent heroes; and procedures and treatments always seem to work with few or no complications.

"They can downplay risks, and they can set unrealistic [expectations]," said Victoria Rideout, vice president and director of the foundation's program for the study of entertainment media and health. "This is part of the mind-set of patients who are coming to see [physicians]. It behooves doctors to pay attention to what popular culture is saying and portraying about health issues."

Medical organizations are watching the trend, too.

The AMA's House of Delegates has discussed doctors' roles in reality TV and last year updated its policy on filming patients in health care settings. The policy says doctors should convey a treatment's risks and benefits to patients and "refuse to participate in programs that foster misperceptions or are otherwise misleading."