Current status of health and medical television programs

ABSTRACT

Along with the heightened interest of the general public in health in the midst of an increase in life expectancy in Korea, television programs covering health and medical issues are gaining attention. Health and medical television programs have increased in number as well as type of format, due to the advent of comprehensive programming television channels in 2011. Television stations have succeeded in capturing viewers' attention through their addition of entertainment elements to health programs. As a result, health and medical programs on television lack accuracy or are filled with overstatements and distortions of information. Therefore, a system is required to verify that the information on health and medical programs is reliable and accurate rather than concentrated only on entertainment or commercialism.