The AJC and television: A logical marriage

Abstract

T his supplement of The American Journal of Cardiologv is important to the medical community, principally because it addresses one of the most important topics of our time: sudden cardiac death. In addition, this publication introduces a unique concept in which a traditional peer-review print supplement was developed in partnership with the medium of electronic communications; in this instance, television. The Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial (CAST) is a landmark clinical trial in our quest to prevent sudden death. Therefore, the need to quickly and effectively disseminate information about the CAST to clinicians was critical. Numerous bulletins from the involved pharmaceutical companies were mailed directly to physicians, warning of the unexpected adverse results of 2 of the drugs evaluated in the study. These bulletins and an article published in The New England Journal of Medicine provided the first level of communication about the CAST results. However, after any investigation, especially when the results are as dramatic and potentially far-reaching as the CAST, there remains the task of explaining the implications of the study to the practicing physician. With the support of Parke-Davis, we determined that this goal could be accomplished effectively by a combination of print and television media. In August 1989, a group of the CAST investigators convened to discuss their study in a day-long forum. The entire session was videotaped and edited into four 30minute programs for the “Milestones in Medicine” series on Lifetime Medical Television. The first of these programs was broadcast only 3 weeks after the original publication appeared in The New England Journal of Medicine, with subsequent programs appearing during September and October. Next, based on their presentations in the “Milestones in Medicine” television programs and the discussions that followed, each of these authorities wrote an article for this supplement. As a result, what was theoretically possible had become a reality: print and video had found a logical marriage. In this era of television, computers, FAX machines, and other marvels of modern mass communications, has this experience taught us any lessons about how medical information should be disseminated? We believe it has. First, the initial publication of medical research in peerreview journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine is tried and proven to be best for both the medical profession and for the patients we serve. Despite the enormous impact of electronic communications on modern society, any temptation to circumvent this critical responsibility of the traditional print medium must be resisted. Second, the power and reach of television is so great that its ability to quickly and credibly disseminate information such as the CAST results cannot be ignored. And finally, print supplements are a valuable reference for those who desire a depth of discussion beyond the usual scope of video. We are convinced that this AJC supplement, combined with the television programs from which it was derived, is an important step into the future of medical communications. Parke-Davis, one of the pioneers in supporting professional television, and a long-time supporter of the traditional print medium, is to be congratulated for its vision in supporting this effort. We encourage more sponsors to utilize this and other models of modern media techniques in order to achieve our common goal of imparting information in the most accurate and efficient means possible.