Skip to content Skip to navigation
University of Warwick
  • Study
  • |
  • Research
  • |
  • Business
  • |
  • Alumni
  • |
  • News
  • |
  • About

University of Warwick
Publications service & WRAP

Highlight your research

  • WRAP
    • Home
    • Search WRAP
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse WRAP by Year
    • Browse WRAP by Subject
    • Browse WRAP by Department
    • Browse WRAP by Funder
    • Browse Theses by Department
  • Publications Service
    • Home
    • Search Publications Service
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse Publications service by Year
    • Browse Publications service by Subject
    • Browse Publications service by Department
    • Browse Publications service by Funder
  • Help & Advice
University of Warwick

The Library

  • Login
  • Admin

Demands for 'off-licence' access to trastuzumab (Herceptin) : content analysis of UK newspaper articles

Tools
- Tools
+ Tools

Hind, D. (Daniel), Wailoo, Allan J. and Sutcliffe, P. (Paul) (2011) Demands for 'off-licence' access to trastuzumab (Herceptin) : content analysis of UK newspaper articles. Health Expectations, Vol.14 (No.1). pp. 38-47. doi:10.1111/j.1369-7625.2010.00617.x

Research output not available from this repository, contact author.
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1369-7625.2010.00617.x

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

Background: Sensationalized reporting styles and a distorted framing of health-care issues in newspapers may trigger inappropriate commissioning decisions. We evaluated UK press coverage of pre-licensing access to trastuzumab (Herceptin) for early breast cancer as a case study.

Methods and findings: Content analysis of newspaper articles published between April 2005 and May 2006 were coded by two researchers for interest groups represented, claims made and sensationalized reporting. Disagreements in coding were resolved by a third researcher. One thousand and ninety published articles were identified in the study period and a 20% sample (n = 218) was included in the content analysis. Most articles (76%, 95% CI 71–82) included claims about the clinical benefits of trastuzumab, and this was significantly higher than those expressing the uncertainty surrounding such benefits (6%, 95% CI 3–9) or those that discussed the potential harms (5%, 95% CI 2–8). Articles were significantly more likely to feature claims made by a breast cancer survivor or family member than any other interest group (P < 0.0001). Almost half of the articles carried some message to the effect that trastuzumab would make the difference between life and death (47%, 95% CI 40–53). Over a quarter (28%, 95% CI 22–34) suggested that trastuzumab is a ‘miracle drug’ or similar.

Conclusions: The benefits of drugs are highlighted, frequently using sensationalist language, without equal consideration of uncertainty or risks. Health-care purchasers should express decisions in opportunity cost terms; journalists should give fairer coverage to such arguments.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: P Language and Literature > P Philology. Linguistics
R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0254 Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology (including Cancer)
R Medicine > RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology
Divisions: Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences > Population, Evidence & Technologies (PET) > Warwick Evidence
Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Trastuzumab, Medical care, Cost of -- Great Britain, Health in mass media, Content analysis (Communication), Great Britain. National Health Service
Journal or Publication Title: Health Expectations
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
ISSN: 13696513
Official Date: March 2011
Dates:
DateEvent
March 2011Published
Volume: Vol.14
Number: No.1
Page Range: pp. 38-47
DOI: 10.1111/j.1369-7625.2010.00617.x
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Restricted or Subscription Access

Data sourced from Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item View Item
twitter

Email us: wrap@warwick.ac.uk
Contact Details
About Us