title: The image of Polish medical institutions in the media.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The media have a huge set of different techniques that contribute to shaping public perceptions of reality. These days, there are many lively discussions about the adverse conditions in health care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this survey was to identify the role of media reports in affecting the public image of health care institutions in Poland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Graduates and students of several of the biggest universities and colleges in Poland were the target group for the survey. The test group consisted of 1160 people (25% men and 75% women). An anonymous questionnaire consisting of 32 questions was posted on a special website. The data obtained are presented in graphs and tables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the survey participants, 16.44% considered media reports a trustworthy source of news about health care system. There was no correlation between participants' assessment of the reliability of the media and their place of residence. In the opinion of 71% of the participants, the manner in which the media present information on health care has an influence on their way of thinking about the health care system. Gender was found to correlate strongly with the assessment of the effect of the media on ways of thinking about health care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results obtained in this survey imply that media reports play a major role in creating the image of Polish health care institutions. Consequently, cultivating appropriate relations with the media should be a significant part of managing of every health care institution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Czerwa
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Obłoza
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D011044:Poland