Patient Demand and the Media

Abstract

Although the media thrive on controversy, they serve other functions. They transfer knowledge and promote understanding. The quality of reporting varies with the individual and the presentation but the ultimate aim is to promote the practice of the best preventive and curative medicine. The audience is not just the public, but also the medical profession. The media serve as givers of a form of primary and continuing medical education. Nevertheless, in recent years, for reasons that are not clear, many doctors have tended to overlook the importance of this relationship.