Media Doctor Hong Kong Reviewed Articles

Medic warns of risks of body scan health checks (rated 1 star)

This news story lacks balanced reporting and reliable data or research to back up its claims.

Early diagnosis key to AD treatment (rated 2.5 stars)

This news story skims over Alzheimer's disease and does not provide specific or quantifiable information. Most people will accept that early diagnosis of AD is important, but the reasons for why it is important need to be made clear. For example, if health authorities were to take measures to detect AD early in a certain country or region, are there data from studies to demonstrate the anticipated benefits in terms of quality of life, minimalizing treatment costs, or budgeting considerations?

Arteries op can save life and limb (rated 4 stars)

Cancer-hit told to skip surgery (rated 2.5 stars)

HKU discovery diagnoses lung cancer early (rated 3 stars)

On the whole, this medical news story provided some useful general information, and could have been improved by providing better explanations and descriptions of this sputum test.

With reference to the 4 Unsatisfactory criteria: First, Sources of Information only referred to a single person. Second, Quality of Evidence was not mentioned (i.e. readers do not know whether the study is published and there is no mention of the origin/basis of the medical news story). Third, Quantifying Treatment Benefits only mentioned relative risks. Fourth, Treatment Costs and Options mentioned that the sputum test was "cheaper and less intrusive than a bronchoscopy" but did not elaborate.

Note: This study is published in Lung Cancer (2008 Nov 14). This fact could have been mentioned in the medical news story to make the Quality of Evidence criteria satisfactory.

狂搽類固醇藥膏濕疹童險盲 (rated 2 stars)

Antioxidant pills can increase health risk, researchers find (rated 3.5 stars)

this is a good story about important research. It would have been strengthened by a brief description about the Cochrane Collaboration and that this information is based on the highest level of evidence. More information about how mortality is increased would have been beneficial too as this is the aspect most people will be interested in.

Liver patients offered new dialysis hope (rated 3 stars)

This a slightly confusing article: although it opens with the statement that the effectiveness of the treatment was being tested, there is no information as to how this is being carried out. It would have benefited from independent comment.

New hope in bird flu fight (rated 0 stars)