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International Journal for Quality in Health Care Advance Access originally published online on February 21, 2005
International Journal for Quality in Health Care 2005 17(2):167-172; doi:10.1093/intqhc/mzi019
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International Journal for Quality in Health Care vol. 17 no. 2 © The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of International Society for Quality in Health Care; all rights reserved

The role of the print media in informing the community about safety in public hospitals in Victoria, Australia: the case of ‘golden staph’

Christine F. Walker1 and Struan W. Jacobs2

1 Chronic Illness Alliance, Camberwell, Victoria, Australia, and 2 Deakin University, School of Social Inquiry, Geelong, Victoria, Australia

Objective. In this article the authors explore how the print media contribute to information and education of the community on issues of safety and quality in the health services, since this is an important avenue of such information and education for many members of the community.

Study design. The authors undertook a qualitative study of a random sample of articles in the Australian print press between 1996 and 2004 where ‘golden staph’ was presented as a major issue of risk to the safety of consumers of health services. The content of each article was examined with reference to several criteria including title, the source of the article, and the metaphorical language employed by the journalist.

Results. Results show that while the articles are substantially accurate as sources of information on concrete events, they do not serve as sources of education on issues of safety, typically apportioning blame and serving to maintain the status quo.

Conclusion. The authors conclude that print media are not a good source of community education in areas of safety and quality and do not assist members of the community to participate in addressing issues of safety in health services.

Keywords: antibiotic resistance, community education, consumer participation, ‘golden staph’, infection control, media, popular press, safety

Address reprint requests to C. F. Walker, Chronic Illness Alliance, Camberwell, Victoria, 3124, Australia. E-mail: xine{at}alphalink.com.au

Accepted for publication December 2, 2004.


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