U.S. Food and Drug Administration
FDA Consumer magazine
May-June 2002
Table
of Contents
Most subscribers of FDA Consumer are seeking general health information, and they read most--if not all--of every magazine issue, a recent survey indicates. Ninety-six percent of those responding to the poll say they think our writing style is just right, not too technical or too basic. About the same number say the length of articles in the magazine is appropriate.
Nearly all those who responded to the random sampling of FDA Consumer subscribers nationwide rate the publication's overall quality as "excellent" or "good." Not surprisingly, almost all respondents rate food safety and drugs as areas of highest interest. Toxicology (toxic substances), biologics (blood, vaccines, biotech medical products), and FDA regulations round out the top five categories.
A rough measure of any publication's popularity and value is the length of time that subscribers keep copies of an issue. Many FDA Consumer subscribers like to save copies of the magazine. Thirty-five percent of those responding say they typically keep the magazine for six months, and 34 percent say they hold on to each issue for more than a year.
The poll also indicates that FDA Consumer gets around. Eighty-five percent of those responding say that their copy of the magazine may be read by as many as five other people.
When asked what they like best about the magazine, most respondents (65 percent) named the feature articles, followed by "Updates" (32 percent) and "Investigators' Reports" (20 percent).
The staff of FDA Consumer wishes to express our collective "thank you" to the nearly 1,000 subscribers who took the time to complete and return our 28-question survey. The FDA's Communications Staff values your opinions and will use your feedback to improve the magazine.
In this issue, our cover story, "Helping Wounds Heal," takes a look at new, high-tech products aimed at improving the treatment of severe burns and hard-to-heal wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers. The FDA has approved several products that help decrease the risk of infection and speed healing.
We also bring you the latest on the prevention and treatment of gum disease, which affects most Americans over 35 and is the leading cause of adult tooth loss. Find out what you can do to keep plaque under control and keep your teeth. And don't miss our feature on robot-assisted surgery. The FDA has cleared two robotic surgical systems that are helping doctors perform minimally invasive surgery.
Raymond Formanek Jr.
Editor
Table
of Contents | How
to Subscribe |
Back Issues | Editorial
Questions
FDA/Office
of Public Affairs
Web page created by clb
2002-APR-24.