Exhaustividad y tono crítico de las noticias en la prensa escrita que informan de una innovación médica / Exhaustivity and critical tone of the news in print media reporting medical innovations

Objetivo: Conocer la exhaustividad y el tono crítico de las noticias sobre innovaciones médicas publicadas en la prensa escrita generalista y analizar qué características pueden estar relacionadas. Método: Análisis del contenido de las noticias sobre el descubrimiento, la introducción o la mejora de una innovación médica a través de un cuestionario con diez criterios de exhaustividad que permiten calcular un índice global de exhaustividad. También se analizó el tono crítico de las noticias. Dos investigadores evaluaron de forma independiente las noticias. Resultados: Se analizaron 204 noticias que obtuvieron como puntuación media de exhaustividad 4,5. El 70% se clasificó con un tono crítico optimista. Los criterios de exhaustividad mejor valorados fueron el nivel de detalle sobre la innovación y la correcta diferenciación entre hechos y opiniones. Los criterios peor valorados se refirieron a los posibles conflictos de intereses económicos y a los riesgos potenciales de la innovación. Las variables autor, longitud de la noticia y clasificación de la innovación se relacionaron tanto con la puntuación de exhaustividad como con el tono crítico. El índice de exhaustividad se relacionó además con la patología, el número de fuentes de información y el tono crítico de la noticia, mientrás que el tono crítico se relacionó también con la difusión del periódico y la relevancia de la noticia. Conclusiones: Se identificaron imprecisiones, sesgos o un exceso de optimismo (intencionado o involuntario) en las noticias analizadas. Un mayor detalle en algunos aspectos de las noticias proporcionaría soluciones a muchas de las deficiencias identificadas

Objective: To quantify how exhaustive and critical were stories reporting medical innovations published in print media and to analyze the characteristics that may be related. Method: Content analysis of the newspapers stories related to the discovery, introduction or improvement of a medical innovation through a questionnaire with ten criteria that allows calculating an overall score of exhaustiveness. The critical view was also included. Results: We analyzed 204 newspapers stories that on average obtained a comprehensiveness score of 4.5. Were optimistic 70% of the stories. The most valued criteria were: level of detail of the explanation of the innovation and the correct differentiation between facts and opinions. While the worst-valued criteria were: disclosure of financial conflicts of interest and the quantification of harms. The variables author, length of the story and classification of the innovation were related to both the comprehensiveness score and the critical view. The comprehensiveness score was also related to the pathology, number of sources of information and the critical tone of the story, while the critical view was also related to the newspapers diffusion and the relevance of the news. Conclusions: The analyzed stories presented inaccuracies, biases or an excess of optimism (either intentional or involuntary). Some aspects of the stories discussed in more detail would provide solutions to many of the identified shortcomings

[Exhaustivity and critical tone of the news in print media reporting medical innovations]. / Exhaustividad y tono crítico de las noticias en la prensa escrita que informan de una innovación médica.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify how exhaustive and critical were stories reporting medical innovations published in print media and to analyze the characteristics that may be related. METHOD: Content analysis of the newspapers stories related to the discovery, introduction or improvement of a medical innovation through a questionnaire with ten criteria that allows calculating an overall score of exhaustiveness. The critical view was also included. RESULTS: We analyzed 204 newspapers stories that on average obtained a comprehensiveness score of 4.5. Were optimistic 70% of the stories. The most valued criteria were: level of detail of the explanation of the innovation and the correct differentiation between facts and opinions. While the worst-valued criteria were: disclosure of financial conflicts of interest and the quantification of harms. The variables author, length of the story and classification of the innovation were related to both the comprehensiveness score and the critical view. The comprehensiveness score was also related to the pathology, number of sources of information and the critical tone of the story, while the critical view was also related to the newspapers diffusion and the relevance of the news. CONCLUSIONS: The analyzed stories presented inaccuracies, biases or an excess of optimism (either intentional or involuntary). Some aspects of the stories discussed in more detail would provide solutions to many of the identified shortcomings.