Newspaper Story Critical Thinking Evaluation

Introduction

The importance of accuracy in reporting any information or finding cannot be understated as far as passing the appropriate information is concerned. However, this is not always easy to attain. Many are times when journalists and writers exhibit bias in their writing especially with regard to reporting stories, or even the manner in which they cover those stories. Reporting bias underlines the tendency to under-report undesirable or unexpected experimental results (Paul & Elder, 2002). In such cases, an individual would attribute the undesirable results to errors in measuring and sampling. However, the journalist or writer would exhibit considerable trust of desirable or expected results even in instances where they would be subject to similar sources of error. Neutrality in reporting is practically limited by the inevitable nature of selectivity thanks to the impossibility of reporting everything (Paul & Elder, 2002). In addition, journalists are often incapable or reporting every available fact or story. This, and necessity of linking selected facts into coherent narratives, limits neutrality.

Bias is evident on the article titled “Patient monitoring attracts investors” in the HealthcareIT News by Bernie Monegain on 14th February 2013. The article outlines the uptake of the Patient Monitoring Technology and the interest that it has piqued among investors. It states that the technology has attracted a lot of interest among the elderly population, thanks to the increasing costs of hospitalization, as well as the skewed ration of physicians to the elderly population (Monegain, 2013). It notes that the elderly population has increased tremendously, in the recent times, alongside increased prevalence of chronic ailments.

As much as the news story incorporates an element of accuracy and clarity, it does not have sufficient breadth and depth. In fact, it does not have a consistent line of thought as to what technology this is, which company came up with the technology, where has it been put into practice or even, which hospitals have already taken it up, among other questions. Evidently, the news article ignored these facts, alongside issues such as when the technology was inculcated, as well as which investors have showed interest in the technology.

Questionable assumptions have been made in writing or compiling this story. For example, the writer quotes Frost & Sullivan in stating that the Wireless Patient Monitoring Technology has attracted a tremendous amount of interest from potential investors and venture capitalists. However, it does not consider the fact that the Wireless Patient monitoring technology is yet to integrate clinical trials that are based on evidence, or even adopt outcome measures as a component of patient evaluation. On the same note, what would be the impact of the deficiency of standards pertaining to interoperability on the uptake of the technology?

Evidently, it is imperative that distinctions are made in reading or internalizing written texts or when evaluating audio messages. Critical evaluation and thinking revolves around active and thoughtful examination of the things that one sees, reads or hears, rather than making a passive acceptance (Paul & Elder, 2002). It allows prevent an individual from jumping into conclusions while allowing him or her to maintain an unbiased and neutral focus on the symbolic messages and facts underlined in a text without the entanglement of one’s emotions (Paul & Elder, 2002). Distinctions are a fundamental pillar of critical thinking, which mainly employs broad intellectual criteria including credibility, precision, clarity, relevance, significance, fairness, depth, accuracy and breadth. In essence, critical thinking would be impossible to conduct without incorporating distinctions.

References

Monegain, B (2013). Patient monitoring attracts investors. Healthcare IT News.

Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2002). Critical thinking: Tools for taking charge of your professional and personal life. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Financial Times/Prentice Hall.