How much can you trust medical advice on television?

Medical advice seems to be all over --talk shows on the internet, radio, as well as television are touting advice, nutrition, or the greatest medical practices or pharmaceuticals. Mass media is a powerful tool for wellness product promoters and health advocates to get their message out. How can you differentiate between actual medical advice and marketing? What divides a doctor from a salesperson is a thin buffer formed by the "Hippocratic Oath".  People must be careful -- if it seems too good to be true, it likely is. For example, should you hear of some supplement or intervention that can "prevent" conditions like Alzheimer's or heart disease, be quite wary and consult your doctor.


Two quite popular mainstream television medical shows have become the focus of some critical attention. The Dr Oz Show and The Doctors, are both hosted by medical professionals that are highly trained. A recent fact-checking study published in the BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal) examined 40 episodes of each of the two shows and made some substantive criticisms of the advice given on air.

The study found that only 46% of the recommendations given on The Dr. Oz Show were supported by any substantial evidence. In 39% of Dr. Oz recommendations, no evidence was found, and the recommendations were contradicted by evidence 15% of the time.

The Doctors were a little better with 63% of recommendations having evidence to support them. No evidence was found in 24% of the recommendations, and evidence contradicted 19% of the recommendations.

In conclusion, the study states that recommendations made on medical talk shows frequently don’t have enough information on advantages or the extent of benefits. Nearly half of the recommendations have no support by evidence or are contradicted by evidence. Additionally, potential conflicts of interest are seldom addressed. The public should be skeptical about claims made on these kinds of shows and consistently discuss questions with your physician.

MediPro Solutions cares about the accuracy of medical advice and is owned and run by physicians.  If you have any questions, contact us!