[Individualized medicine and what journalists can do to build a more realistic picture]

Journalistic reporting on medical topics is subject to the same basic quality requirements as "health information" in a stricter sense. The aim is to inform patients and the general public in an unbiased and understandable way. Using the example of reporting on individualized medicine, a concept is described of how statements on the benefit and harm of interventions can be distinguished and classified and their content assessed in journalistic research. The step-by-step analysis of statements on the benefit of (personalized) medicine and the comparison of these statements with scientific evidence will help to distinguish proven facts from uncertain predictions. Journalistic reporting is then required to ensure that the basic messages of the report comply with the quality of the scientific evidence and that uncertainties be presented adequately.