"Medical journalism is news reporting (as opposed to peer-review publication) of medical news and features."
This type of journalism reports on the latest news and research in the medical field, including drug development and new treatments.
Medical Terminology: Understanding and being familiar with medical terms used in the industry is important for medical journalism. This topic covers basic medical terminology used in diagnosis, treatment, and communication between medical professionals.
Anatomy and Physiology: Knowledge of the human body, including its structure and functions, is important for medical journalism. This topic covers the basic anatomy and physiology of the human body and its major organs.
Epidemiology: Epidemiology is the study of disease in populations. It is important for medical journalism because it helps reporters to understand how and why diseases spread, and the impact of diseases on public health.
Drug Development and Approval: Drug development and approval is the process pharmaceutical companies go through to bring new drugs to market. It is important for medical journalists to understand this process to properly inform the public about new drugs and their potential benefits and risks.
Ethics in Medical Journalism: Medical journalists must adhere to certain ethical principles to ensure that their reporting is objective, accurate, and fair. This topic covers the ethical issues that arise in medical journalism.
Medical Research: Medical research is the study of disease, drugs, and treatments. Medical journalists must understand medical research to inform the public about the latest discoveries and their potential impact.
Public Health Policies: Public health policies are the rules and regulations that government agencies use to protect and improve the health of the population. Medical journalists must understand these policies to report accurately on public health issues.
Healthcare Systems: Healthcare systems include doctors, hospitals, health insurance, and other healthcare providers. Medical journalists must understand healthcare systems to report on issues related to healthcare access, coverage, and costs.
Medical Ethics: Medical ethics is the study of moral principles and values that apply to medical practice. Medical journalists must understand medical ethics to report accurately on issues related to medical decision-making, patient rights, and medical research.
Medical Law: Medical law is the study of laws and regulations that apply to medical practice. Medical journalists must understand medical law to report accurately on issues related to medical malpractice, medical errors, and patient rights.
"Medical journalism is diverse, and reflects its audience."
"The main division is into (1) medical journalism for the general public... and (2) medical journalism for doctors and other professionals..."
"...medical coverage in general news publications and in specialty medical publications..."
"...often appears in peer-reviewed journals."
"The accuracy of medical journalism varies widely."
"Reviews of mass media publications have graded most stories unsatisfactory..."
"...although there were examples of excellence."
"Other reviews have found that most errors in mass media publications were the result of repeating errors in the original journal articles or their press releases."
"Some websites, such as Columbia Journalism Review and Hippocrates Med Review, publish and review medical journalism."