>> Important Information for the Elderly

Information dispensed in medical advice columns in newspapers is often inappropriate and sometimes dangerous, according to a recent Canadian study.

Dr. Frank Molnar, from the division of geriatric medicine at Ottawa Hospital's civic campus, and his colleagues found that the content in half of 50 advice columns randomly selected from a total of 109 Canadian English language columns was unsuitable for, and in 28% of cases potentially life threatening to, intended senior readers (Canadian Medical Association Journal 1999;161:393-5). The columns were published in 11 dailies during 1995 and dealt with topics that could be found in a textbook o geriatric medicine.

Five geriatricians rated the articles, all of which were written by doctors, according to whether the articles were clearly targeted at the intended audience and whether they distinguished opinion from fact, the extent to which key issues were highlighted, and the safety and appropriateness of the advice provided. The safety of the columns was rated on the basis of whether advice, if taken by intended readers, posed no threat of morbidity (safe), had some potential for morbidity but not mortality (unsafe), or had potentially life threatening complications (dangerous).

The reviewers concluded that in 11 columns (22%) critical issues were not clearly identified, in seven (14%) opinion would likely be interpreted as fact, and in four (8%) readers would probably misunderstand for whom the advice was specifically intended.

Examples of advice deemed potentially dangerous to elderly readers included suggesting 240 mg propranolol daily for a reader's complaint of tremor, and recommending collagen implants for a patient with symptoms of stress incontinence (rather than medical evaluation and initial non-surgical treatment).

Press advice columns: do they do more harm than good?