From viewing to visiting: How a medical drama may be shaping perceptions of emergency physicians and intentions to seek emergency care

Emergency department (ED) overcrowding has been identified as a pressing public health concern. Drawing on cultivation theory and the entertainment overcoming resistance model (EORM), this study examined how exposure to The Pitt relates to audience perceptions of ED physicians and their intentions to use ED. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with U.S. adults (N = 384) who had watched The Pitt. Results indicated that exposure to The Pitt was positively associated with favorable perceptions of the fictional ED physician. While both narrative involvement and perceived realism served as significant mediating mechanisms, character involvement did not reach significance in the parallel models. Additionally, the full serial path linked exposure to ED utilization intentions through narrative involvement and subsequent positive perceptions of both fictional and real-world physicians. These findings extend cultivation theory by integrating narrative engagement mechanisms, while highlighting the potential of medical dramas to shape health-related beliefs and behavioral intentions.