Scripting Scripps

Gary Schwitzer as well as his buddies at Health News Review are the experts inward critiquing medical stories, noting:

The mission of HealthNewsReview.org is to ameliorate the world dialogue most wellness attention past times helping consumers critically analyze claims most wellness attention interventions as well as past times promoting the principles of shared decision-making reinforced past times accurate, balanced as well as consummate data most the tradeoffs involved inward wellness attention decisions. HealthNewsReview.org evaluates wellness attention journalism, advertising, marketing, world relations as well as other messages that may influence consumers as well as provides criteria that consumers tin purpose to evaluate these messages themselves. Improving the character as well as current of wellness attention intelligence as well as data to consumers tin hold upwards a important stride towards meaningful wellness attention reform.

In this respect, they are performing an first-class world service.  As a sole author inward my domicile office, I can't plough over upwards amongst their expertise as well as output, only every instantly as well as then, a even out comes along that deserves some commentary.

I actually don't desire to plough over writing most proton beam therapy, only here's the latest from HealthLeaders Media.  Read it as well as weep:

The facility that houses the pencil-beam PBT devices at Scripps is owned past times Advanced Particle Therapy, which spent most $220 i M m to develop the site. Even amongst that jaw-dropping toll tag, Scripps has managed to accomplish cost-competitiveness amongst photon-based treatments for some tumors, including early-stage thorax cancer, Rossi told me.

"We tin process patients inward 2 weeks compared to every bit many every bit 7 weeks amongst other forms of radiations therapy. … We're able to process them inward a faster manner, amongst the same toxicology as well as the same side effects. It likewise cuts the costs of handling dramatically."

Although Rossi declined to cry names, he says 2 commercial payers accept concluded that pencil-beam PBT at Scripps is delivering to a greater extent than cost-effective handling for early-stage thorax cancer than comparable photon-based radiations treatment. "Insurers accept looked at this as well as said nosotros are cheaper as well as contracted on that basis."

In the PR business, nosotros telephone telephone this "earned media." It's essentially an promotion that hasn't been paid for.  There is no critical analysis of the points made past times the protagonist.  There's no option stance presented on the contentions offered.  Let's deconstruct:

The facility inward inquiry represents $220 i M m inward working capital missive of the alphabet costs that has to hold upwards amortized over some current of time.  In addition, at that spot are operating expenses.  The method of how those costs are amortized over each early-stage thorax cancer representative is non stated.  Specifically how much is the fully loaded cost of 2 weeks of proton beam therapy compared to the fully loaded cost of 7 weeks of photon therapy at Scripps or other institutions? Since nosotros are non presented amongst those basic assumptions, at that spot is no agency to independently evaluate the basic contention, that Scripps has managed to accomplish cost-competitiveness amongst photon-based treatments.

We likewise are told that 2 commercial payers accept concluded that the therapy is to a greater extent than cost-effective, only Rossi declined to cry names. Why on Blue Planet would you lot impress such an assertion--made past times a clinician--on behalf of insurance companies without verifying it amongst the primary sources. (I tin sympathise when reporters allow sources to stay anonymous for reasons of national safety or personal opportunity or commercial privacy, only here, the sources haven't fifty-fifty been interviewed.)

There are many other thoughtful as well as interesting parts of the story, only those are "after the turn." Most people volition non teach to page 2 or 3 of the article, as well as hence the primary impression is that Scripps has done something that no i else inward the manufacture has flora to hold upwards possible.

I'm thinking that Schwitzer et al should commencement to deport preparation programs for their colleagues inward journalism.

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