ATLANTA, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Studies performed by the Centers for Disease Control and the Kaiser Family Foundation have found that U.S. TV viewers learn from dramas such as NBC's "ER."
The two groups had polled viewers of the long-running NBC drama to determine their level of knowledge about medical concepts and discovered that "ER" viewers actually learned from the series, said the Los Angeles Times.
The study determined that prior to an "ER" episode airing that focused on high-dose birth control pills, only 10 percent of viewers knew about the drug, but a week afterwards 33 percent recalled information about the drug.
A similar study found that only 24 percent of those polled knew that human papilloma virus can cause cervical cancer, yet that number jumped to 47 percent a week after "ER" offered an episode about the medical fact.
The Times said the studies' results place a firm responsibility onto medical TV dramas such as "House" and CBS' upcoming drama "3 lbs." not only to entertain viewers, but to accurately teach them as well.
