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Flemington, NJ, May 26, 2009 – A new national media study among 300 viewers of a news clip which featured a family’s decision to forgo radiation treatment for their cancer-stricken child, and instead pursue alternative medical treatments, revealed that a slight majority (53%) reported that the government should not have the right to override parents’ wishes.
The study was conducted by the MediaCurves.com® website during May 22-25, to obtain Americans’ perceptions of the recent controversy on whether parents should be able to forgo recommended radiation and chemotherapy treatments, and instead pursue alternative and less-invasive treatments for their terminally ill children.
“Based on our survey and analysis of the automated response curves, we saw that there is still controversy around this issue, just as there was in the 1944 case of Prince vs. Massachusetts, with the ruling that was decided by a single vote,” commented Glenn Kessler, president and CEO, HCD Research. “This is despite the fact that (61%) of respondents said they would consider an alternative treatment for themselves or their child if faced with a terminal illness even if it went against a recommended course of treatment.”
Among the findings:
“Do you agree that the government has the right to overrule parents’ wishes to pursue alternative treatments for children who are facing a terminal illness?”
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Total |
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Yes |
47% |
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No |
53% |
“If you or your child was faced with a potential terminal illness, would you consider an alternative medical treatment even if a more invasive procedure was recommended by a medial professional (such as chemotherapy or radiation)?”
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Total |
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Yes |
61% |
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No |
39% |
While viewing the video clip, participants indicated their levels of agreeability by moving their mouse from left to right on a continuum. The responses were recorded in quarter-second intervals and reported in the form of curves. The participants were also asked to respond to post-viewing questions.
About MediaCurves.com
MediaCurves.com® (www.mediacurves.com) is a media measurement website that provides the media and general public with a venue to view Americans’ perceptions of popular and controversial media events and advertisements. MediaCurves.com is a service of HCD Research, a communications research company headquartered in Flemington, NJ. The company's services include traditional and web-based communications research. For additional information on HCD Research, access the company’s web site at www.hcdi.net or call HCD Research at 908-788-9393.
Editors/Reporters: For more information on the study, or to speak with Glenn Kessler, president and CEO, HCD Research, please contact Barbara Taylor, Director, MediaCurves.com division, HCD Research, at (908) 483-9146 or (barbara.taylor@hcdi.net). You can also receive updates from MediaCurves.com by following us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mediacurves.
