Maggots on BBC Casualty: Evaluating the impact of a Television storyline on awareness and public perceptions of Maggot Therapy

Yamni Nigam,Tom Hewes,

doi:10.47363/jmcn/2021(2)133

Abstract

Maggot Therapy is an established, effective treatment for chronic infected wounds. Despite its worldwide success, it suffers from poor public regard and acceptance. In 2019, the primetime BBC Medical Drama, Casualty, decided to run a Maggot Therapy storyline over four episodes of its recent series (series 33). Our study focusses on an evaluation of the impact of this storyline on changes in public awareness and acceptability of Maggot Therapy. The evaluation comprised an online questionnaire (administered through an independent private research company). Our results showed that exposure to the BBC Casualty maggot storyline was associated with a significant increased awareness of Maggot Therapy. Additionally, this resulted in a more positive perception and general acceptability of the treatment, and a decrease in negative responses towards it. Post-wave participants were also more likely to find Maggot Therapy acceptable for their own wound. Our findings suggest that television storylines and narratives are a useful route to raise awareness, inform and educate viewers about important health-related issues. Our study supports the notion that for effective treatments like Maggot Therapy, which often evoke feelings of disgust and reluctance, the persuasive effects of entertainment education could help to transform perception and acceptability.

Highlights

The use of living, clinical grade maggots, is a medical treatment which has been globally revived in recent decades to help treat chronic wounds
There appears to be a lack of public awareness of Maggot Therapy, and its effectiveness as a treatment for chronic wounds [10]
Qualifying participants The participants included in the online survey carried out by Opinium were all viewers of the BBC Television Programme, Casualty

Summary

Introduction

The use of living, clinical grade maggots (of the species Lucilia sericata – the greenbottle fly), is a medical treatment which has been globally revived in recent decades to help treat chronic wounds. Such wounds are slow, stagnant and non-healing, like leg and foot ulcers, and often result from co-morbidities such as diabetes and cardiovascular disorders. Given its efficiency and cost effectiveness , Maggot Therapy has a surprisingly low uptake and is increasingly regarded as an underutilised, last resort clinical treatment for chronic wounds [2,7]. Even when there is an awareness, there is often a lack of positive perception and acceptability [11]

Methods

Results

Conclusion