Science and health communication issues need urgent attention

These are some of the highlights of the communication seminar on science and medical reporting with special reference to the print medium, sponsored by the Sri Lanka Medical Association, held on October 30, 2005 in Colombo where this columnist was one of the moderators.

'I am very happy that I had the chance of attending this seminar as a writer of science and medical features to a Sinhala newspaper, and I learnt a lot from the senior contributors, researchers and medical professionals.

'The basic factor I learnt is the seriousness of the subject itself which should not be undermined merely as sensational and attractive, as it is one of the most important areas in the field, but unfortunately misunderstood by many of our colleagues', said a young freelance writer who attended the seminar held recently at the Sri Lanka medical association's auditorium at Wijerama Road, Colombo, which was packed with an array of old and young science and health communicators known and unknown to the masses 'we were quite careful in the mission of this seminar as we felt it is a pressing need to discuss the issues of science and health communication to the public and as such a fresh outlook is necessary' declared Dr D.N. Atukorale the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Medical Association and Dr Varuna Gunatilaka, the secretary of the same association who was also responsible for the organisation of the seminar.

The main purpose as I understood was the launching of a flimsy volume of guidelines to all media personalities with this seminar in background as a reminder of their function in disseminating the science and health messages via their respective media channels.

This I am sure is a lofty educational cum communication project and an initial insight into the science and health field where the subject of information gathering and sharing is concerned.

The collection of guidelines titled as 'saukhya ha vidya vedin sandaha margopadesa' (Advisory guidelines for communicators in the field of health and science) underlines some of the dos and don'ts in the field where ethics are concerned in the information investigation.

One example is the carefulness in the revelation of an identity of a patient or a medical personality when it comes to a salient social issue like privacy, and the type of sickness.

Then comes the revelation of the types of brand names of medicine used that should not be generally revealed.

The emphasis is also laid on such issues as, reporting from hospitals (state and private) pertaining to cases of suicide, rape and the over simplification of medical ethics.

Furthermore, the code of guidelines make a special mention on the accuracy, clarity, truthfulness in the investigative function, and the use of language (neither over simplification nor distortion and sensationalisation) where the carelessness and hurry may ruin the entire image of the intended message resulting in more disaster to the recipient of the mass media channel.

As a prologue to the central theme of the seminar Professor Diyanath Samarasinghe outlined the ways of setting the right agenda to the understanding of science and health factors in order to seek self help and eradicate the disasters and hazards of such special areas as smoking and drinking.

Perhaps he tried his best to convince that over talk and overloading by way of reminders on these areas and raising unnecessary questions on these subjects may not help eradicate but aggravate the conditions.

As such he emphasised the value of actual science judgement as against the emotional judgement of individuals.

What happens to a person when he smokes and what happens to a person when he drinks alcohol may be better questions to be raised and anticipated hidden investigative areas to be penetrated more scientifically than revealing the mere statistics on the conditions prevailing.

While setting the right agenda he emphasised the need to counteract at all levels perhaps creatively. As most science and health journalists endorsed the need to use the creative method of the use of human interest story is beneficial over and above the use of mere cerebral commentaries.

In this direction three science journalists aired their views with their personal experiences in the field of science and health communication. As such the general consensus of opinion centred round the subject was the recapitulation or the rewriting of serious investigative material as found in primary research sources in the commonest possible manner without debasing the essence of the primary source.

As professor Narada Warnasuriya, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Sri Jayawardhanapura University, pointed out in his case study, the need to inform the public on such aspects as food consumption, health and food preferences and choices, especially in children and aspects of food advertising and promotion especially on the part of the super market chains are areas to be investigated with a new outlook still in keeping in mind the food act and consumer education.

He emphasised that some mass media channels and some of the popular advertising methods utilised for these purposes may tend to overlook the reality of human existence creating new sicknesses instead of eradicating the existing ones.

Tusita Malalasekara, one of the senior science journalists explained the techniques of interviewing medical professionals in order to get at the right information needed for media channels.

The preparatory part of the interviewer according to him is an area neglected grossly and as a result the media messages are seen as erroneous and sensational.

One of the highpoints in the seminar was the dialogue that ensued between the researchers and the participants, who happened to be basically new comers to the communication field making a resourceful think tank of discussion.