Playing on a virtual reality gaming system may help stroke patients improve their motor function, according to a small study presented Thursday at a conference of the American Stroke Association. read more
EARLY results from a new cancer treatment pioneered in Melbourne show that advanced ovarian cancer can be fought to a standstill - an against-the-odds result that could point to a radical new way of beating other cancers. read more
It's been easing headaches for generations, and now Australian scientists say the humble paracetamol tablet could also be used to prevent a range of diseases. read more
WOMEN with breast cancer who take aspirin at least twice a week can more than double their chance of surviving, researchers in a 30-year project say. read more
THE benefits of losing weight during the teenage years are so great that severely obese adolescents should be offered stomach-restricting surgery, according to the results of Australian research. read more
The development of an "artificial pancreas" has been hailed as a significant breakthrough in diabetes management but it could take another five years to reach diabetics. read more
Fish oil pills may be able to save some young people with signs of mental illness from descending into schizophrenia, according to a preliminary but first-of-its-kind study conducted in Austria. read more
Doctors now know how to tell whether a young person is at risk of developing schizophrenia but what they're not so sure about is the best form of treatment. read more
Tests of the first two oral drugs developed for treating multiple sclerosis (MS) show that both cut the frequency of relapses and may slow progression of the disease, but with side effects that could pose a tough decision for patients. read more
A widely prescribed drug to tackle high blood pressure and heart disease also appears to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, according to a US study. read more
A RADICAL new drug used to treat patients suffering painful sensitivity to sunlight could prevent skin cancer or be copied by the tanning industry. read more
There are many who find summer difficult, because they're too fair to enjoy the beach or pool. But a new Aussie drug could soon end all that. read more
A MASSIVE dose of HDL ''good'' cholesterol injected into patients after a heart attack can quickly break down fatty deposits in the arteries and might prevent subsequent attacks, Australian scientists have said after early tests of a new therapy derived... read more
New research on the reporting of medical treatments is published in the latest edition of the... read more
what media doctor is
Media Doctor is a website dedicated to improving the accuracy of media reports about new medical treatments.
Media Doctor reviews current news items about medical treatments, assesses their quality using a standardised rating scale and presents reviews of good and bad examples of reports on this website. It is anticipated that these independent and objective critiques will improve journalistic practices in reporting new medications and treatments in Australia.
Media Doctor does not provide medical advice, and does not assess the quality of the evidence on which the stories are based; instead we concentrate on the articles themselves. For more information on the treatments featured on this site, visit our links page.
who is media doctor?
The team behind Media Doctor consists of a group of academics and clinicians from the Newcastle Institute of Public Health, who have an interest in promoting better and more accurate reporting in the area of medical treatments.