Fly-on-the-wall medical dramas have been a staple of pop culture for nearly 70 years. We’ve been hooked on dramatized healthcare ever since City Hospital first aired in 1950 and have tuned into everything from Scrubs to Call the Midwife in that time. Healthcare drama draws a huge audience due to its high-stakes portrayal of human life. But, there’s always one nagging question at the back of every viewer’s mind: “How accurate is this?”
Drama and Doctors
We all love watching the grizzled veteran doctor save the day. Shows like House are even considered among the most accurate medical dramas on TV by doctors. This is largely thanks to the attention given to diagnostic methods and the decision to focus primarily on rare diseases and illnesses.
Fortunately, real-life hospitals don’t rely on the swashbuckling efforts of a single doctor. Medical doctors are, of course, highly skilled and integral to the smooth running of hospitals across the nation. However, hospitals represent a systematic approach to healthcare. Doctors run through their diagnoses based on their training and typically specialize in a specific area of healthcare.
However, there is one thing that shows like House and Doc Martin do get right: physician fatigue. Doctors, like all professionals, are susceptible to burnout and fatigue due to long working hours and occupational stress. While physician burnout is usually presented in a comical way on-screen, real-life physician burnout can lead to emotional dissociation, a loss of self, and a lack of energy for personal interests.
Medical Missteps and Terminology
There’s something both frustrating and thrilling about medical terminology being bandied about in medical dramas. When used correctly, medical jargon and convoluted practices give shows credibility. But when wielded without care, medical content can alienate audiences and detract from the drama.
Shows like Grey’s Anatomy are notorious for their misuse of medical terms and made-up practices. Actors use instruments like stethoscopes incorrectly and “break scrub” shortly after scrubbing in.
CPR is wildly over-used in medical dramas, too. CPR is an effective treatment method for bystanders following an accident but rarely revives a patient whose heart has stopped beating. The same is true for defibrillators, too. The dramatic tension of flatlining vital signs monitors makes for great television, but defibrillators only work on specific heart arrhythmias.
Raising Awareness
Most people are willing to forgo total medical accuracy in favor of high drama and engaging plot lines. However, there is something that most medical dramas do well: raising awareness for illnesses and conditions.
Movies like Stepmom and Dying Young portray life with cancer and may help audiences refer themselves for treatment or cope with a current diagnosis. Audiences see the side effects of cancer treatments and are more aware of the early symptoms that may indicate an underlying issue.
Films like The Theory of Everything and Crip Camp have championed disability and have given advocates a public platform. Over time, improved awareness can improve healthcare and ensure that everyone has access to the treatment they need.
Of course, some medical procedures don’t involve life-or-death stakes. Films like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Age of Adeline portray aging in a new light. These films remind us that aging is an inevitable and beautiful part of life — whether we age normally or not.
Motivating Medical Research
No one knows what the future of medical care looks like. While we may hope for Star Trek sick bays, we’re still reliant on the important contribution of medical researchers.
That said, sci-fi films like Jurassic Park III accurately predicted 3D printing and the widespread adoption of voice-activated assistants. We are close to printing human tissue and many hospitals now use AI to improve physician diagnosis and automate some administrative tasks.
The anti-aging industry may have a poor reputation thanks to shows like Doctor Who and the infamous Lady Cassandra O’Brien. However, anti-aging technology could become a reality in the coming years. Gene therapy treatments may be able to modify mutations and “turn off” the genes that cause wrinkles and blemishes.
In a similar sci-fi-inspired vein, researchers from the University of Harvard may have found a way to reprogram DNA and return cells to an embryonic-like state. These embryonic cells can be used to treat diseases and may even alleviate the effect of illnesses like heart attacks.
DNA treatment and 3D printing do come with an ethical cost. This is something that looks like Kazou Ishigiro’s Never Let Me Go explores deftly in beautiful prose. Do we really want to live in a world where human tissue could be printed? How would these organ farms be regulated? Would there be unintended consequences to living with synthetic human tissue? All these questions are addressed in the novel and serve to embolden medical research.
Conclusion
Healthcare is integral to modern life. However, hospital dramas like Scrubs and House don’t always get it right. Most producers opt for tension and captivating plot over realistic depictions of doctors’ everyday lives. That said, medical dramas have raised awareness about medical conditions like cancer and speculative sci-fi may have inspired anti-aging technology like 3D printing and gene modifications.