Medical TV dramas have become very popular in recent years. These shows are mainly created for entertainment and often do not reflect what really happens in hospitals. However, television plays an important role in sharing information, shaping how people think, and teaching the public about medicine. Death and dying in hospitals, especially in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), are highly emotional experiences. In real life, these situations often turn out very differently from what patients and families expect. Because of this, it is important to understand how medical TV shows portray major hospital events such as end-of-life care, death, and the delivery of bad news. When what is shown on TV does not match the reality of ICU care, it can lead to unrealistic expectations, false hope, and greater distress for patients and their families at the end of life. At the same time, violence and aggression towards healthcare providers have increased in recent years. This can include verbal abuse as well as physical attacks. Looking at how healthcare workers are treated in medical TV shows may help us understand whether these programmes influence what behaviour is seen as acceptable. Since violence against healthcare staff has become especially concerning since the COVID-19 pandemic, the possible role of media should not be ignored, even though many factors are involved. This study aims to describe how death and dying are shown in popular medical TV series and to explore how violence or aggression towards healthcare providers is portrayed in these settings.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
500
Medical tv series
Witten, Germany
Medical tv series
London, Select, United Kingdom
Number and type of violent episodes depicted in medical tv series in the OR, the ICU and in the ER.
Violence/ aggression behaviours including: intentional physical, verbal, psychological/ emotional and/ or sexual
Time frame: during hospital admission
Number and type of death/ dying as depicted in medical tv series in the OR, the ICU and in the ER.
End of life scenes depicting the death and dying process
Time frame: during hospital admission
Type of environment that the behaviour is taking place
Describe the environment in which violent behaviour and/or death/ dying is taking place
Time frame: During the hospital admission of observed patient or family member/ friend
Depicted emotions during death/dying
Describe the emotions that are demonstrated by family members/ friends dying death/ dying
Time frame: During the hospital admission of observed patient or family member/ friend
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