Shaping Public Views of Science: A Content Analysis of Medical Research Portrayals in Prime-Time Dramas

Television (TV) medical dramas are a significant source of information about health and medical research for lay audiences, blending accurate depictions with dramatic distortions that can shape beliefs about how research is conducted and governed. This study systematically analyzes selected U.S. television dramas to characterize how medical research is portrayed, including the frequency, context, accuracy, and ethical framing of research-related storylines.

A systematic content analysis was conducted of episodes from all prime-time legal and medical dramas aired over the past 20 years. Episodes involving medical research were identified via streaming platforms and IMDb, then coded using a seven-domain framework (plot, themes, ethical dilemmas, impact on public perceptions, character portrayals, accuracy, and key developments) developed by an emergency medicine expert panel. One investigator re-reviewed a random 10% subsample to assess reliability (kappa), and results were summarized with descriptive statistics and frequency tables.

A total of 171 episodes were identified from 7 legal and 20 medical dramas. Grey’s Anatomy, House, and The Good Doctor yielded the most research-focused episodes. Twelve recurring themes were identified, including informed consent, oversight, transparency, accountability for harm, and balancing innovation with patient safety. Depictions of research were generally unfavorable (79%), often portraying ethics as conflicted, pitting ambition against patient care, and emphasizing regulatory friction and staff resistance. Research protocols and informed consent were frequently misrepresented (14%), medical errors and cover-ups were exaggerated (11%), and consequences for unethical behavior were often minimized (9%). The reliability of data collection (k = 0.76) indicated substantial agreement.

In this sample of prime-time legal and medical dramas, medical research was portrayed predominantly in a negative, conflict-laden light, with recurring emphasis on ethical tension, shortcuts, and patient harm. These portrayals may foster mistrust, therapeutic misconception, and unrealistic expectations, highlighting the need for more accurate, ethically grounded depictions of medical research in popular culture.