PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Frank J. Molnar AU - Malcolm Man-Son-Hing AU - William B. Dalziel AU - Susan L. Mitchell AU - Barbara E. Power AU - Anna M. Byszewski AU - Philip St. John TI - Assessing the quality of newspaper medical advice columns for elderly readers DP - 1999 Aug 24 TA - Canadian Medical Association Journal PG - 393--395 VI - 161 IP - 4 4099 - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/161/4/393.short 4100 - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/161/4/393.full SO - CMAJ1999 Aug 24; 161 AB - Background: Medical advice columns in newspapers can provide a valuable service by educating the general public about important health-related issues. However, these columns may be harmful if the advice or information given in them is incomplete, inappropriate or misleading. The objective of this study was to assess the safety and appropriateness of advice given to elderly readers of newspapers in medical advice columns. Methods: Medical advice columns published in Canadian newspapers in 1995 were identified from a CD-ROM database. The articles that were selected were published in English and contained medical advice pertinent to elderly people about topics that could be found in a textbook of geriatric medicine. Fifty articles, randomly selected from the 109 articles that met these criteria, were independently assessed by 5 geriatricians. A scoring system was used to rate the ability to determine to which population the article applied, how well fact was distinguished from opinion, the degree to which critical issues were addressed, the safety and the appropriateness of the advice. When the kappa statistic for inter-rater agreement was 0.74 or less, a 2-stage Delphi process was used in an attempt to reach consensus. Results: Agreement (kappa > 0.74) was eventually achieved for 232 (92.8%) of the 250 ratings. In 4 (8%) of the articles there was a high probability that the advice given could be applied to the wrong patient population; in 7 (14%) there was a high probability that opinion might be interpreted as fact; and in 11 (22%) the major critical issues were not identified. Of greatest concern, however, the advice in 25 (50%) of the articles was judged to be inappropriate, and in 14 (28%) advice may have been dangerous and potentially life-threatening. Interpretation: Although medical advice columns have the potential to improve the health of elderly readers, a significant percentage of these articles contain inappropriate or even potentially dangerous advice.