A new study by researchers at Duke University and the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs Medical Center found that television medical programs such as "ER" and "Chicago Hope" give viewers an overly optimistic impression of the effectiveness of certain medical procedures...particularly cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The percentage of people who survive cardiac arrest after receiving CPR is far lower than represented on television programs. Linda talks with one of the authors of the study, Dr. James Tulsky, about how the portrayal of miraculous recoveries on television may ultimately undermine trust in doctors and scientific data.
Copyright 1996 NPR
