Medical dramas as a health promotion resource—an exploratory study

In spite of being one of the most popular broadcasts on British networks, medical dramas have received no attention from media or health communication scholars. This qualitative study, based on the views of 183 respondents, explores interpretations of the American drama ER. The results show that medical dramas are accepted as trustworthy providers of information, and that viewers do learn from them. They could prove a useful tool for the dissemination of health promotion messages. More such formative research is needed.