An apple a day keeps the doctor away
Medical information is often complicated to decipher. Our highly acclaimed, consumer health coverage is designed to help you meet the public’s need for credible, health and wellbeing information.
Feb 11, 2019
We spoke with the Reuters health team to understand how their coverage allows our clients to keep consumers up-to-speed with the latest health and well-being news.
‘Dr. Google’ vs. the facts
It’s common for people to turn to “Dr. Google” for answers to questions about improving health and well-being. In fact, health is the second most searched topic on Google, and it continues to gain importance. What has changed in recent years is how consumers approach their health. Healthy lifestyles and eating habits are on people’s minds, signalled by the growing demand for wearables that track multitudes of fitness and wellbeing data points.
However, the volume and complexity of available health information demands the delivery of trustworthy, captivating, and digestible information – for everyone.
With years of experience, the Reuters health journalists have amassed significant expertise. Filtering through vast amounts of medical information and focusing on new research that yields actionable information –– meaning, people can actually use this new knowledge and act accordingly. This complex information is delivered in an accurate, clear and engaging way.
Teen builds prosthetic with lego
New discoveries, less pain
The team, led by Nancy Ehrlich Lapid, delivers over hundred stories a week via multiple medical news products for consumers, physicians, and industry specialists.
Apart from covering the major conferences and medical journals, the team also conducts timely investigative reporting. A recent high profile example is when Reuters journalist Lisa Girion researched Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder which was found to be tainted with carcinogenic asbestos.
Every sixth death in the world is due to cancer. This one of the many reasons why the public wants to know more about the latest medical breakthroughs that could help them or their loved ones. For instance, last year, more than 32,000 expert oncologists met at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago to discuss state-of-the-art cancer treatments. A new study presented at the meeting showed that women with early-stage breast cancer can skip chemotherapy after their tumor has been removed.
You are what you eat
Consumers’ interest in health and wellbeing extends back to preventative approaches, favoring information about food products and eating behaviors that promote a healthier existence. Lisa Rapaport from Reuters Health reported that a U.S. study suggests that “people who consume lots of foods linked to chronic inflammation, such as red meat and refined grains, may be more likely to develop colorectal cancer than individuals who tend to avoid these foods”.
It is validated information such as this that is valued by consumers who can be unsurprisingly confused by the volume of – and at times, conflicting – health news and information that is found online. Nancy and her team take great pride in being able to help consumers with the information they need to take control of their healthy lives.