Rochester Education Briefs: May 16, 2008

Daily Record (Rochester, NY), May 16, 2008

University at Buffalo physician criticizes TV?ad campaign

A "direct-to-consumer" television advertising (DTCA) campaign touting the benefits of a medical device used in heart surgery should be viewed as "potentially deceptive," asserts a commentary co- authored by a University at Buffalo cardiologist in the current online issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The article, written by William E. Boden, M.D., professor of medicine and social and preventive medicine in the UB schools of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and Public Health and Health Professions, and George A. Diamond, M.D., senior scientist in cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center/UCLA, calls for the FDA to conduct a critical review of the television ad campaign.

Originally scheduled to appear in the May 22 issue, the commentary, titled "DTCA for PTCA -- Crossing the Line in Consumer Health Education?" was posted this week to coincide with FDA hearings on direct-to-consumer advertising set for May 15. PTCA is the medical abbreviation for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

The advertisements debuted during the heavily watched Dallas Cowboys v. New York Jets football game on Thanksgiving Day 2007. The ads promote a device called the Cypher stent, a tiny, wire-mesh tube that emits a dose of medication to prevent re-narrowing of a once- clogged artery.

This was the first time a branded medical device used during angioplasty was advertised to the general public, an event Boden and Diamond say marked the dawn of a new era in television marketing.

Brand-name drugs, but not medical devices, have been advertised commercially for 10 years. More information is available online at www.buffalo.edu/news/9386

More schools in Western New York teaching financial literacy

More than 130 teachers from Western New York high schools are using a Web-based curriculum called MoneySKILL to help students develop personal finance skills, according to the University at Buffalo School of Management, which developed the program.

"Participation has really skyrocketed this year," said John M. Thomas, dean of the UB School of Management. Thomas noted 71 percent of Buffalo public high schools have a teacher registered to use the program, which began two years ago as a pilot project with 16 teachers.

Outreach and teacher training is being funded by a two-year, $50,000 grant from the M&T Charitable Foundation. M&T has also provided staff and volunteer support.

The free, interactive Internet curriculum is designed to teach students how to make informed financial decisions. Lewis Mandell, professor emeritus at the UB School of Management, created MoneySKILL with the American Financial Services Association Education Foundation.

National financial-literacy scores of high school seniors dropped from 52.4 percent in 2006 to 48.3 percent this year, according to Mandell, who has conducted a biennial nationwide survey for 11 years to determine how well 12th graders know the basics of personal finance.

New York State requires high school students to complete at least one-third of a semester of study in personal financial management.

The University at Buffalo and M&T Bank provide free teacher training and technical support for MoneySKILL. Since it can be completed online outside of regular class time, teachers don't have to change their daily lesson plans, according to the college.

A built-in grade book electronically records test scores and course grade, and the program is updated as tax regulations and financial products and services change.