Recommendations on Medical Television Talk Shows: Where's the Evidence?

Television is an important source of health information, but the content of popular medical talk shows has not been examined rigorously. In this study, researchers assessed recommendations made on two internationally syndicated medical television talk shows and evaluated the evidence to support these recommendations.

Forty episodes each of The Dr. Oz Show and The Doctors that aired during the first 5 months of 2013 were selected randomly, and >900 recommendations made during these episodes were identified. The most common recommendation made during The Dr. Oz Show was dietary advice; during The Doctors, the most common recommendation was to consult a healthcare provider. A benefit was specific for only 40% of recommendations, the magnitude o…