Via Research Recognition Day Program VCOM-Carolinas 2025

Clinical Educational Research

Representation of DOs and MDs on Major Television News Networks: An Analysis and Review Henry Knox, OMS-II 1 ; Jordan Lehman, OMS-II 1 ; Annie Guglielmo, OMS-II 1 ; Austin Ewanick, OMS-II 1 ; Sarah Mixson, OMS-II 1 ; Meghana Arza, OMS-II 1 ; Abby Telan, OMS-II 1 ; Robert Eysler, OMS-II 1 , Tom Lindsey, DO 1

1. Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine – Carolinas Campus, Spartanburg, SC

Introduction

Results

Discussion

The number of osteopathic physicians (DOs) is increasing as more DO students graduate and new DO schools open. Currently, 89% of U.S. physicians are MDs, while 11% are DOs. However, the number of DOs is growing more quickly, with their numbers doubling since 2010, compared to a 20% increase in MDs 1-3 . In recent years, DOs have been misrepresented in the media, prompting the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) to address misinformation 4-7 . Such misrepresentation can harm patient trust in DOs and impact patient selection due to misperception. Public confusion about the scope of DO practice, particularly whether they are considered medical doctors, is evident in common search inquiries 8 . Given that news outlets are traditionally a trusted source of information, analyzing media coverage of medical professionals can offer insights into public perceptions. This study aims to analyze the representation/portrayal of Osteopathic Physicians (DOs) compared to Allopathic Physicians (MDs) in the news by examining the frequency of coverage. The CNN San Francisco and Fox News West Internet Archive were used as repositories for news transcripts spanning from January 2020 to December 2021, a time of COVID related media exposure. • Keywords included "M.D.", "MD", "osteopathic," "osteopath," and "D.O.," which were analyzed for frequency. • For the keyword "MD," only instances explicitly referencing doctors of medicine were included. • Additionally, duplicate occurrences of "osteopathic" and "osteopath" were combined in the analysis. • Mentions of "doctor" and "physician" were excluded due to their lack of specificity. Keyword data was organized into bar graphs showing the annual frequency, providing a comparative analysis of the trend in media coverage of medical professionals across CNN and FOX during this timeframe. Methods

In 2020 on CNN News, there were a total of 50 mentions for the keywords “MD” and “M.D.” and 3 mentions for “D.O.” and “osteopath/osteopathic.” In 2021, there were a total of 27 mentions for “MD” and “M.D.” and 3 mentions for “D.O.” or “osteopath/osteopathic.” In 2020, Fox News had 39 mentions of “MD” or “M.D.” and 3 mentions of “D.O.” or “osteopath/osteopathic,” while in 2021, there were 27 and 3 mentions, respectively. Based on review, we estimate that MDs are referenced at a rate of 21:1 compared to DOs. Analysis showed the hypothesis of equal representation (1:1) was easily rejected (p <0.0001). The hypothesis of a 10:1 rate is rejected using a Type I error rate of 0.05 (p = .0497). A 95% Confidence Interval estimated an MD:DO mention ratio between 11.75:1 and 78.46:1.

Acknowledgements This study supports the hypothesis that MDs are represented in the media at a higher frequency than DOs. • This study showed that MDs are being represented in television media at rates exceeding 10:1 which suggests a lack of awareness about DOs. • Limitations included the use of only two news networks and the inability to use the word ‘physician’ in data searches due to ambiguity. • The results were limited as they did not address the content or context of the mentions. Conclusions Further research is necessary to determine how widespread the disproportion in representation is between MDs and DOs. • Recommendations for future studies include analyzing the portrayal of MDs and DOs by using both additional keywords and news networks. • Further research may explore the context in which osteopathic physicians are discussed. With further exploration, we can better understand how to increase public awareness on the role of osteopathic physicians. We would like to thank Jamie Foushee, PharmD and Timothy Kowalski, DO, for their insight and influence on this project, as well as our statistician, David Redden, PhD. References 1.Quick Facts about Osteopathic Medical Education. Default. https://www.aacom.org/become-a-doctor/about-osteopathic-medicine/quick-facts 2.Active Physicians by Age and Specialty, 2021 | AAMC. AAMC. https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/workforce/data/active-physicians-age-specialty-2021 3.Physician Licensure in 2023. Federation of State Medical Boards. 2024. Accessed June 15, 2024. https://www.fsmb.org/u.s.-medical-regulatory-trends-and-actions/u.s.-medical-licensing-and disciplinary-data/physician-licensure/#:~:text=89%25%20of%20licensed%20physicians%20in,compared%20to%2020%25%20for%20MDs 4.Raymond R. Osteopathic medical profession fights back after CNN, MSNBC mischaracterize DOs - The DO. The DO. Published December 16, 2020. https://thedo.osteopathic.org/2020/10/osteopathic medical-profession-fights-back-after-major-news-outlets-mischaracterize-dos/ 5.Staff A. AOA statement regarding offensive FIGS ad - The DO. The DO. Published October 23, 2020. https://thedo.osteopathic.org/2020/10/aoa-statement-regarding-offensive-figs-ad/ 6.Staff A. DOs respond to comments made by Hasan Minhaj on The Tonight Show. The DO. Published December 16, 2021. https://thedo.osteopathic.org/2021/10/dos-fight-back-profession-responds-to hasan-minhajs-jimmy-fallon-interview/ 7. Johnson B. AOA responds to “The View” regarding misleading comments - American Osteopathic Association. American Osteopathic Association. Published November 30, 2023. https://osteopathic.org/2023/11/29/aoa-responds-to-misleading-comments-on-the-view/ 8.Sajjadi, Nicholas B., Ottwell, Ryan, Shepard, Samuel, Bray, Natasha, Dyer, Robin, Wilson, Jennifer, Vassar, Matt and Hartwell, Micah. "Assessing the United S tates’ most frequently asked questions about osteopathic medicine, osteopathic education, and osteopathic manipulative treatment" Journal of Osteopathic Medicine , vol. 122, no. 5, 2022, pp. 219-227. https://doi.org/10.1515/jom-2021-0281

Figure 1 . The graph above depicts the number of times the keywords “M.D.”, and “MD” were mentioned on CNN News in 2020 and 2021 compared to the keywords “osteopathic/osteopath” and “D.O.”.

Figure 2. The graph above depicts the number of times the keywords “M.D.”, and “MD” were mentioned on Fox News in 2020 and 2021 compared to the keywords “osteopathic/osteopath” and “D.O.”.

2025 Research Recognition Day

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