What does the media say about palliative care? A descriptive study of news coverage in written media in Spain

Abstract

IntroductionThe goal of palliative care (PC) is to improve the quality of life of terminal stage patients and their families. The subject frequently appears in the mass-media and this helps create a socially accepted identity. The aim of this study is to describe and analyse PC related news items appeared in the Spanish written media.MethodologyA descriptive cross-sectional study was designed. Considering diffusion, scope and the range in editorial policy criteria, four printed newspapers (PN) were selected, together with four exclusively digital media sources (DM). Through Mynews, a newspaper content depository, and the search tool for each DM website, articles published between 2009 and 2014 which included the terms "palliative care" and "palliative medicine" were sought. A questionnaire was created to characterise each article identified and a descriptive analysis was undertaken.ResultsA total of 627 articles were identified, of which 359 (57%) were published in PN (42% in the printed editions -PE- 16% in their online editions -OE-) and 268 (43%) in DM. In general, they appeared mainly in sections concerning Health (23%), Culture and Society (18%) and General/Home News (15%). In PE, just 2% were found in the Health section and nearly 70% in Culture and Society and General/Home News. Most of the articles were informative in nature and contained socio-political messages (90%). Statements by PC professionals were found in 35% of the articles and by politicians in 32%. The most frequent content was related to facing end of life (74%) and patient quality of life (70%).ConclusionsThe Spanish written media reflects the socio-political interest aroused by PC. Nevertheless, messages circulating about PC do not describe professional practice, or the contribution of the same for patients. Content more in line with the clinical practice might help contribute to the development of this new area of medicine.

Social representation of palliative care in the Spanish printed media: A qualitative analysis

“…Our analysis found that print media references were mainly related to current socio-political debates in the immediate present regarding proposed end-of-life legislation and controversial legal cases. Politicians and health professionals were the main actors providing messages on PC, with politicians lending an ideological political or moral slant to their discourse, and health professionals framing theirs through educational information, which is consistent with the results of a quantitative study of news coverage related to PC in written media (printed and digital) in Spain [23]. Although the political and moral discourses at times referenced the benefits of PC, these messages were entangled in ideological debates and controversies.…”

“…A total of 295 news items were identified containing the terms searched, and after eliminating duplicate news items and those in which the terms were not correctly identified, 262 articles were included in the study: 135 in ABC , 65 in El País , 24 in El Mundo and 38 in La Vanguardia (S1 File). A quantitative description of the news items identified can be found in an earlier article showing that most of the news items were published in the newspapers’ ‘Culture and Society’ (38%) and ‘National’ sections (30%), followed by ‘Editorial’ and ‘Reader’s letters’ (19%) and other sections (12%), with only two per cent appearing in the ‘Health’ section [23]. Due to this variability, the diversity of the language, how it was structured and the graphics resources used was conditioned by the type and scope of each article.…”

Palliative care in its own discourse: a focused ethnography of professional messaging in palliative care

“…This study as far as we know is the only one that studies the messages that PC professionals relay to patients and caregivers during their clinical encounters. It identifies three main messages that have little in common with the messages that are transmitted in the media according to other studies [6,18]. "We are a team focused on your wellbeing" is a clear message transmitted by health professionals explaining "what they do" rather than "who they are".…”

“…A misunderstanding of PC persists among the general public, healthcare professionals and policy makers, revealing the problem of knowledge transfer that adequately reflects reality [6,7]. A study that analysed 600 articles from Spanish newspapers concluded that the information regarding PC does not accurately reflect clinical practice and its nature.…”

“…A study that analysed 600 articles from Spanish newspapers concluded that the information regarding PC does not accurately reflect clinical practice and its nature. Discussions of PC in the news media are usually provided by politicians in a particular context -"The Minister (from Spanish Socialist Workers' Party,) mentioned the 'ethical obligation' of improving the quality of and access to palliative care" -and are characterised by strong ideological and moral content focusing on the social debate [6]. This discourse has been identified by studies as a barrier to the implementation of PC.…”