[Reports in the Dutch newspapers prompted by articles from medical scientific journals]

To gain an impression of the frequency and nature of reports in Dutch newspapers about publications in medical-scientific journals.

Retrospective, descriptive.

Press reports appearing during February to July 1995 in the internal and external collections of newspaper cuttings of the Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sports, both composed of reports from, among other things, nine popular evening and morning newspapers, were examined for articles that had been prompted directly by medical publications; this study was carried out in the editorial offices of the Dutch Journal of Medicine (NTvG). The title of the publication and the report, the name of the newspaper and the name of the journal were recorded.

In all, 34 reports prompted by 27 different articles were found, most of them (21%) written in reference to publications in The New England Journal of Medicine, followed by the NTvG (15%). The list was headed by socially relevant subjects such as cancer and aids (29% and 12%, respectively, of the reports). The Telegraaf and the Volkskrant contained the largest numbers of reports (both 18%) and nearly all newspapers used journals published in either English or Dutch.

Dutch newspapers regularly use articles from various medical-scientific journals published in English and in Dutch as a direct source for reporting. Most attention was given to socially relevant subjects such as cancer and aids.