title: Physicians, patients, and medical dialogue in the NYPD Blue prostate cancer story.
abstract: Extending literature on health information to entertainment television, we analyze the prostate cancer narrative presented in the police drama, NYPD Blue. We explain how the physician-patient interaction depicted on the show followed (and sometimes did not follow) the medical dialogue model. Findings reveal that the producers of this show advocate a more dialogic model of medical interaction. Portrayals of incompetent, ineffective physicians are contrasted with the superior, effective efforts of other physicians. The audience learns that a non-dialogic approach characterizes "bad doctors," while the dialogic method typifies "good doctors." Likewise, medical professionals can use such texts to enhance physician-patient interaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication, College of Charleston, 66 George Street, Charleston, SC 29424, USA. Goodierb@cofc.edu
authors.forename: Bethany Crandell
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Goodier
authors.forename: Michael Irvin
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Arrington
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D004324:Drama; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D016495:Police; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms; D013690:Television