Read all about it!
Heard the latest health news stories reported in the press? Do you want to know if there really is a “diet” that will slow mental decline? Does eating red meat affect fertility? Is reading work e mail outside work time good for you?
Follow some of the latest items reported in the media and see the science behind them at “Behind the Headlines” on the NHS Choices website. The stories are broken down to see how the evidence stacks up and to give a balanced view on the themes reported, plus there are additional useful links.
A good resource, well worth a look – the excellent ‘Behind the Headlines’ facility which is part of the larger, more well known NHS Choices website.
Behind the headlines (BTH) looks at stories in the media to expand and explain how the headline came about. If you read the article below, you will see how BTH traces the evidence back to the original research and provides an unbiased conclusion.
Hip replacement deaths drop by a half since 2003
“Death rates following hip replacement surgery fell by half in England and Wales,” reports the BBC News website.
Its headline is based on a new study in The Lancet which looked at data from the National Joint Registry (NJR) over the course of eight years. The registry is an NHS database recording outcomes in artificial joint operations such as hip and knee replacements.
Read the full article, which includes research, a video and an easy to follow conclusion.
Behind the Headlines part of NHS Choices, provides an unbiased and evidence-based analysis of health stories that make the news.
The service is intended for both the public and health professionals, and endeavours to:
- explain the facts behind the headlines and give a better understanding of the science that makes the news,
- provide an authoritative resource for GPs that they can rely on when talking to patients, and
- become a trusted resource for journalists and others involved in the dissemination of health news.
Behind the Headlines is the brainchild of Sir Muir Gray, who set up the service in 2007.
This feature has now been added to our Understanding Evidence page, to enable a greater understanding of the health stories reported in the news.