Harkness Project Title: Media Reporting of Medications: Good Information or Misleading Hype?

Mentors: Robert J. Blendon, Sc. D., and Steve Soumerai, Sc.D.

Placement: Harvard Medical School/Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

Biography at time of Harkness Fellowship: Ray Moynihan, a 1998-99 Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellow in Health Care Policy, has been a reporter/broadcaster with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for over ten years. He graduated with an arts degree in 1984, and began his career in journalism at a community radio station in Brisbane, Queensland. He is the author of a recently published book titled, Too Much Medicine? Which explores the current shift towards the use of evidence-based medicine and some of the commercial imperatives operating within and upon the medical profession. He just completed a three part television series, based on the book, that includes interviews with those at the forefront of evidence-based medicine and the Cochrane Collaboration. He has received wide recognition for his work, including awards earned for excellence in medicine and scientific reporting.

Project: Moynihan’s study was designed to explore the extent to which U.S. newspapers and TV news programs are offering the public good, balanced information about the costs and benefits of medications.  He analyzed five years of U.S. newspaper and TV coverage of three drugs – Pravachol-pravastatin, Fosamax-alendronate, and aspirin – investigating how benefits and harms were framed, and whether relevant industry ties of those quoted were revealed.

Career Activity Since Fellowship

• Australian correspondent, Radio New Zealand, Ninetonoon, 2005
• Finalist, Walkley Awards, Shortlisted Qld Premiers for Selling Sickness, 2005
• Visiting Editor and Contributor, British Medical Journal, 2003-present
• Washington correspondent, Radio New Zealand, Ninetonoon, 2003
• British Medical Journalists’ Association Award, for BMJ series, 2003
• Australian Council of Deans of Education Excellence in Education Journalism Award, 2002
• Medical Reporter, Australian Financial Review, 2000

• Health and Business Reporter, Australian Financial Review, 1999

E-Mail: raymond.moynihan@verizon.net

Harkness-Related Publications

Moynihan R. “Evaluating Health Services: A Reporter Covers the Science of Research Synthesis,” Milbank Quarterly 2004, 82(2).

Moynihan R. “Using Health Research in Policy and Practice: Case Studies from Nine Countries,” Milbank Memorial Fund, 2004.

Moynihan R, Sweet M, :Medicine, the media and monetary interests: the need for transparency and professionalism.” Med J Aust. 2000 Dec 4-18;173:631-4.

Moynihan R, “Making medical journalism healthier,” The Lancet, 2003;361:2097

Moynihan R, Schwartz, L, Woloshin S. „Medicine and the Media, Good information or misleading hype,” chapter in Freemantle N, Hill S (Eds). Evaluating pharmaceuticals for health policy and reimbursement. London, BMJ Books, 2004

Sweet M, Moynihan R, “Improving Population Health: The Uses of Systematic Reviews” Produced by Milbank Memorial Fund, in Collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2007 http://www.milbank.org/reports/0712populationhealth/0712populationhealth.html

Moynihan R, Burne M, Eight-part electronic- video documentary (eVD) series for WHO committee : making health systems healthier, 2008 http://www.kunnskapssenteret.no/Artikler/2061.cms

Schwartz L, Woloshin S, Lavis JN, Moynihan R, Oxman AD, Paulsen EJ. “Evidence-informed health policy 4 – Case descriptions of organizations that support the use of research evidence.” Implementation Science 2008, 3:56 (17 December 2008)

Lavis JN, Oxman AD, Moynihan R, Paulsen EJ. ”Evidence-informed health policy 3 – Interviews with the directors of organizations that support the use of research evidence.” Implementation Science 2008, 3:55 (17 December 2008)

 Lavis JN, Paulsen EJ, Oxman AD, Moynihan R. “Evidence-informed health policy 2 - Survey of organizations that support the use of research evidence.” Implementation Science 2008, 3:54 (17 December 2008)

Lavis JN, Oxman AD, Moynihan R, Paulsen EJ. ”Evidence-informed health policy 1 – Synthesis of findings from a multi-method study of organizations that support the use of research evidence.” Implementation Science 2008, 3:53 (17 December 2008)

Moynihan R, Tipsheet for reporting on drugs, devices and medical technologies, The Commonwealth Fund, September 2004.

Moynihan R. “All Things Being Equal” Australian Financial Review October 10, 2000.

Moynihan R. “The Painful Opt-out Option” Australian Financial Review October 11, 2000.

Moynihan R. “Sick Health System a US Election Malady” Australian Financial Review October 23, 2000.

Moynihan R, Bero L, Ross-Degnan D, Henry D, Lee K, Watkins J, Mah C, Soumerai SB. “Coverage by the News Media of Benefits and Harms of Medications.” New England Journal of Medicine 2000; 342(22):1645-1650.