Have you ever wondered about the accuracy of health stories that appear on the news?

Healthnewsreview.org evaluates current news items for accuracy and comprehensiveness.   Stories concerning treatments, procedures, and diagnostic tests are rated by a panel of medical professionals.  Coverage of the reports are given zero to five stars on the ability of the journalist to provide thorough information on the particular topic.   Ten specific areas of criteria are measured including the use of additional independent sources, the discussion of advantages and disadvantages for the treatment, and the ability to assess the quality of evidence.   The aim of the website is to appraise the news story itself, not the actual treatment or procedure. 

The website examines the nation’s top 50 newspapers, network newscasts, and weekly news magazines.  Transcripts and links to the original article are provided for users.  Individuals can search for reviews by date of publication, news organization, number of stars, and keyword.  Consumers can view a general critique of the article as well as detailed information on the ability of the news story to address the ten areas of assessment criteria.

For instance, a recent story from the Wall Street Journal, “Bone Proteins Costly in Surgery, Study Says” received two out of five stars for its inability to address the  cost, benefits, problems of the procedure,  in addition to the failure of the news story to include limitations of the study.

Health News Review is an excellent website that you can use to get a second opinion on the latest medical news story.