Class of 2012 Abstract / Specific Aims: To assess the accuracy of the presenting signs and symptoms, diagnostic procedures, and treatments presented in the last twelve episodes of season five of the popular medical drama, House, MD. Methods: A descriptive retrospective evaluation of the accuracy and inaccuracies of episodes 13 to 24 in season five of the television series House, MD. The accuracy of the presenting signs and symptoms, diagnostic procedures, and treatment in each episode was rated on a scale of one to four. A rating of one described a correct and usual representation. A rating of two described a correct but somewhat unusual representation. A rating of three described a correct but extremely unusual representation. A rating of four described an incorrect representation. Each researcher independently rated the episodes, and then a collaborative rating was agreed upon by both researchers. Main Results: Results of the ANOVA test demonstrated a statistically significant difference between the three dependent variables (p=0.002). The Tukey HSD post-hoc test confirmed a significant difference between the accuracy of treatment when compared with signs and symptoms (p=0.012), and with diagnostic procedures (p=0.002). The average rating for the treatment variable was 1.58 (0.9), whereas the average ratings for the signs and symptoms and diagnosis variables were 2.75 ( 0.754), and 3 (1.128), respectively. Conclusions: The treatments presented in the last twelve episode of season five of House, MD were more accurate than both the presenting signs and symptoms and the diagnosis.

Class of 2010 Abstract / OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this project was to analyze the accuracy of season two, episodes 13-­‐24 of the popular medical drama, House, MD. METHODS: This study was a descriptive retrospective analysis of the second half of season two of House, MD. The accuracy of the presenting signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment in each episode was rated on a scale of one to four. A rating of one described a correct and usual representation. A rating of two described a correct but somewhat unusual representation. A rating of three described a correct but extremely unusual representation. A rating of four described an incorrect representation. Each researcher independently rated the episodes, and then a collaborative rating was agreed upon by all researchers. RESULTS: Results of the ANOVA test demonstrated a statistically significant difference between the three dependent variables (p=0.003). The Tukey post-­‐hoc test confirmed a significant difference between the accuracy of treatment when compared with signs and symptoms (p=0.003), and with diagnosis (p=0.022). The average rating for the treatment variable was 1.50 (±0.707), whereas the average ratings for the signs and symptoms and diagnosis variables were 2.80 (±0.919) and 2.50 (±0.707), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The treatments presented in the last twelve episodes of season two of House, MD were more accurate than both the presenting signs and symptoms and the diagnosis.

Class of 2009 Abstract / OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this work was to quantify the magnitude of factual inaccuracies in the first twelve episodes of the second season of the medical drama, House, MD. METHODS: This study was a descriptive retrospective evaluation of the first twelve episodes in the second season of the popular television show, House, MD. The degree of accuracy of the signs and symptoms (presentation), diagnosis, and treatment for the one major disease portrayed in each show was rated on a scale of one to four. Each researcher evaluated these ratings independently, and after subsequent collaborative discussion, a combined rating was determined for all the data. RESULTS: Both a three-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis data analyses found significance among the data. The Tukey HSD post hoc test revealed a significant difference between the accuracy of signs and symptoms to treatment variables (p = 0.045). Analysis by the Mann-Whitney U test also determined that a significant difference was evident between the accuracy of signs and symptoms when compared with treatment (p = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: The treatments presented in the twelve episodes evaluated were determined to be more accurate than the show's description of the patient's presenting signs and symptoms.

Class of 2012 Abstract / Specific Aims: This study was performed to assess the accuracy of the presenting signs and symptoms, diagnostic procedures, and treatments depicted in episodes one through twelve of the fifth season of House, MD. Methods: This study was a descriptive, retrospective evaluation of the accuracy of the first twelve episodes of the fifth season of House, MD. Dependent variables in this study were presenting signs and symptoms, diagnostic procedures, and treatment of the final diagnosis for the primary patient case. A rating of one to four was assigned to each variable, with one being most accurate and four being inaccurate. Statistical analysis consisted of ANOVA and Tukey HSD post-hoc test Main Results: The signs and symptoms had a mean of 2.42 ± 0.669 (95% CI 1.99 to 2.84). The diagnostic tests had a mean of 2.42 ± 1.084 (95% CI 1.73 to 3.11). The treatment had a mean of 1.42 ± 0.9 (95% CI 0.84 to 1.99). ANOVA showed a statistically significant difference among the accuracy ratings of the groups (p = 0.013). Tukey HSD did not show a significant difference between the accuracy of the signs and symptoms and diagnostic tests (p = 1). The test did reveal a statistically significant difference between accuracy of treatment and both the signs and symptoms (p = 0.027) and diagnostic tests (p = 0.027). Conclusions: The treatments shown in House, MD, season five, episodes one through twelve are significantly more accurate than both the diagnostic tests and the presenting signs and symptoms.

Class of 2011 Abstract / OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the degree of accuracy of the information relevant to signs and symptoms, diagnostic procedures used to establish the final diagnosis, and appropriateness of treatment for the last 12 episodes of the 3rd season of the television show, House, MD. METHODS: Twelve episodes were reviewed by three evaluators and the patient’s signs and symptoms, the diagnostic procedures used, and the treatment of the final diagnosis for each episode were recorded and rated based on accuracy. After each evaluator had rated each variable in each episode independently, the ratings were compared and a final rating for each variable was determined. RESULTS: The overall mean rating for signs and symptoms was 2.46. The overall mean rating for diagnostic procedures was 2.38. The overall mean rating for treatment was 1.77. All of these ratings would correlate to a correct, but somewhat unusual presentation. The ANOVA analysis found no statistically significant difference between groups (p=0.078). CONCLUSION: The signs and symptoms, diagnostic procedures, and treatments in the episodes of the second half of season three of House, MD were all portrayed in a manner that was accurate, but with a somewhat unusual presentation.

Class of 2011 Abstract / OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to assess the accuracy of the presentation, diagnostic procedures, and treatment of the main disease in each of the first twelve episodes of the third season of the medical drama House, MD. METHODS: The study is a descriptive retrospective evaluation of the first twelve episodes of season three of the medical drama House, MD. The accuracy of the clinical presentation, diagnostic procedures, and treatment in each episode was rated on a scale of one to four. A rating of one described a correct and usual representation. A rating of two described a correct but somewhat unusual representation. A rating of three described a correct but extremely unusual representation. A rating of four described an incorrect representation. Each of three researchers independently rated the episodes, and then the researchers agreed upon a collaborative rating for each category. RESULTS: Results of the ANOVA test did not show statistical significance between the three dependent variables (p = 0.25). Additionally, a Tukey HSD post-hoc test did not reveal a statistical significant difference between the ratings for the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment. CONCLUSION: In the first twelve episodes of season three of House, MD, there was no difference between the accuracy of the treatment and diagnosis when compared to the signs and symptoms of each episode.

Class of 2012 Abstract / Specific Aims: To assess the accuracy of the presenting signs and symptoms, diagnostic procedures, and treatments presented in the last twelve episodes of season five of the popular medical drama, House, MD. Methods: A descriptive retrospective evaluation of the accuracy and inaccuracies of episodes 13 to 24 in season five of the television series House, MD. The accuracy of the presenting signs and symptoms, diagnostic procedures, and treatment in each episode was rated on a scale of one to four. A rating of one described a correct and usual representation. A rating of two described a correct but somewhat unusual representation. A rating of three described a correct but extremely unusual representation. A rating of four described an incorrect representation. Each researcher independently rated the episodes, and then a collaborative rating was agreed upon by both researchers. Main Results: Results of the ANOVA test demonstrated a statistically significant difference between the three dependent variables (p=0.002). The Tukey HSD post-hoc test confirmed a significant difference between the accuracy of treatment when compared with signs and symptoms (p=0.012), and with diagnostic procedures (p=0.002). The average rating for the treatment variable was 1.58 (±0.9), whereas the average ratings for the signs and symptoms and diagnosis variables were 2.75 (± 0.754), and 3 (±1.128), respectively. Conclusions: The treatments presented in the last twelve episode of season five of House, MD were more accurate than both the presenting signs and symptoms and the diagnosis.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation investigates the medical drama series as a television phenomenon which foregrounds the body as central narrative device. By considering House M.D. and Jozi H as global and local manifestations of this genre, transnational, spatial and metafictional categorisations of the body are traced to reveal its nature as social spectacle, and meaningbearing corporeal text. The body and its concomitant identities are exposed as continually and continuously screened inside, outside and, moreover, in relation to the hospital. As an institutional space, the hospital is (re)positioned in national and transnational discourses as nexus for personal and public, individual and societal, as well as local and global truths about the body (politic). Michel Foucault’s understanding of the human body, its position as part of the larger body politic, and its control by the state is employed to foreground the bio-political classification of the (ab)normal body. Both the hospital, as space for healing, controlling and containing the body, as well as the body, as a corporeal and a psychic space itself, are signified as heterotopic spaces: part of, but also outside other places and bodies. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie verhandeling ondersoek die mediese dramareeks as televisie-fenomeen wat die liggaam as sentrale narratiewe middel aanwend. Deur House M.D. en Jozi H as globale en plaaslike uitbeeldings van hierdie genre in oënskou te neem, word transnasionale, ruimtelike en metafiksionele kategoriserings van die liggaam nagespoor om die aard daarvan as sosiale verskynsel en betekenisdraende liggaamlike teks te onthul. Die liggaam en sy verwante identiteite word aaneenlopend en aanhoudend beskou binne, buite en, verder, in verhouding tot die hospitaal. Die hospitaal as institisionele ruimte word (her)posisioneer in nasionale en transnasionale diskoerse as skakel tussen persoonlike en openbare, individuele en sosiale, asook plaaslike- en globale waarhede oor die (staats)liggaam. Michel Foucault se beskouing van die liggaam en die groter staatsliggaam, asook die staat se beheer daaroor beklemtoon die bio-politiese klassifisering van die (ab)normale liggaam. Sowel hospitaal, as helingsruimte, ruimte van beheer en inperkende ruimte, as die liggaam, as ’n materiële en ’n psigiese ruimte, word voorgestel as heterotopias: deel van, maar ook verwyder van, ander ruimtes, plekke en liggame.