Health experts help TV docs get facts straight

By Lisa Richwine

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - That young mother with breast cancer on "Grey's Anatomy" may do more than just drive the storyline: She may also be teaching you something.

Recognizing the reach of popular television shows, real-life doctors and public health experts are at work behind the scenes to add a dose of education to entertainment.

"Viewers get a lot of health information from TV shows. That's why we want to work with the writers to make sure it's accurate," said Vicki Beck, who directs a government-funded project that connects TV scriptwriters with medical experts.

More than half of regular viewers reported learning something about a disease from a daytime or prime-time drama, according to an analysis of data from a 2001 survey by public relations company Porter Novelli.

Findings like that caught the eye of government health officials, advocacy groups and academic physicians, who saw a compelling way to get medical information to millions.

Now, doctors regularly consult for hospital dramas "Grey's Anatomy" and "ER" plus "Desperate Housewives" and other non-medical hits that weave in health storylines. They also help fictional doctors on "General Hospital" and other daytime soap operas sound like the real thing.

Medical experts answer questions about everything from what drugs a patient would take to how a person could survive a gunshot to the head.

Advocates also brief shows on hot topics that may spark ideas for future plotlines.  Continued...