My 15 Minutes of Fame

[摘要] The reporting of “medical news” has become an important part of the barrage of information available in print, in electronic media, and, of course, in the 4 billion or so sites on a Google search for health-related topics. My own brush with this phenomenon came about through co-writing an editorial1 on one of the most pedestrian issues that one can imagine: How much water should one consume each day above and beyond that dictated by thirst? We concluded that drinking excess amounts of water above that induced by thirst was not backed by scientific evidence, although the question had not been well studied. What I learned about the media and the reporting of health-related issues from this experience may be instructive to others who happen to have their work become the object of a press release and thereby stumble into the world of health reporting.

[学科分类] 泌尿医学

[关键词] Bone marrow necrosis;Sickle cell disease;Hyperhemolysis syndrome