ArticleCureus2026
Portrayals of Medical Research in Prime-Time Dramas: A Content Analysis.
Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTelevision (TV) dramas are a significant source of information about health and medical research for lay audiences, blending accurate depictions with dramatic distortions that can shape beliefs about how research is conducted and governed. This study systematically analyzed selected U.S. television dramas to characterize how medical research is portrayed, including the frequency, context, accuracy, and ethical framing of research-related storylines.
methodsA systematic content analysis was conducted of episodes from prime-time legal and medical dramas aired over the past 20 years. Episodes involving medical research were identified via streaming platforms and Internet Movie Database (IMDb), and then coded using a seven-domain framework (plot, themes, ethical dilemmas, impact on public perceptions, character portrayals, accuracy, and key developments) developed by an emergency medicine expert panel. One investigator re-reviewed a random 10% subsample to assess reliability (kappa), and results were summarized with descriptive statistics and frequency tables.
resultsA total of 170 episodes were identified from 7 legal and 20 medical dramas.
conclusionIn this sample of prime-time legal and medical dramas, medical research was portrayed predominantly in a negative, conflict-laden light, with recurring emphasis on ethical tension, shortcuts, and patient harm. These portrayals may foster mistrust, therapeutic misconception, and unrealistic expectations, highlighting the need for more accurate, ethically grounded depictions of medical research in popular culture.
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