FPDR (Family Presence During Resuscitation) as It Is Portrayed on Prime-Time Media

FPDR (Family presence during resuscitation) remains a highly contentious issue among professional caregivers in the acute setting. The American Heart Association and European guidelines notwithstanding, only a few American and European hospitals have a protocol to allow family presence, and only a few healthcare providers actually follow these guidelines and allow families to be present during their loved one’s CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). In this article, the following thesis is tested: Even though there is no scientific evidence to refute the benefit of family presence, healthcare providers still instinctively oppose it. While the origin of this opposition is yet to be revealed, the media, which is a powerful vector for the transmission of knowledge and cultural attitudes, may be an important factor that influences or perpetuates medical staff’s attitudes. More specifically, medical dramas, which can be viewed on TV (television) or by Internet, play a major role in the transmission of medical information, and may modify the social perceptions and cultural influential power of the medical institution. Thus, by analyzing the way family presence during CPR is portrayed on TV, we can further understand the factors that influence the attitudes of healthcare staff towards the issue, and perhaps use TV to modify them in accordance with scientific evidence and formal guidelines.