Medical Misinformation

JACCP Clinical Forum

Medical misinformation: a primer and recommendations for pharmacists

-Published by ACCP DI PRN Writing Group

-PROBLEM: medical misinformation is more pervasive today because of widespread and near instantaneous dissemination of information via the Internet and social media platforms

Problem with medical information

medical misinformation is more pervasive today because of widespread and near instantaneous dissemination of information via the Internet and social media platforms

Medical misinformation (KNOW)

medical claims not supported by the best available evidence or consensus at the time, regardless of intent to spread misinformation

(NOT mal intent, just spreading things that aren't really correct)

Medical disinformation (KNOW)

a subcategory of medical misinformation with malicious intent to spread misinformation

(occurred a lot during covid)

Infodemic

Too much information including false or misleading information that occurs during a disease outbreak

-during covid we had an infodemic on a variety of subjects

Conformation bias

tendency to process or interpret information by looking for or interpreting new evidence that is consistent with or confirms one's existing beliefs

(ex: if you read something negative on vaccines and you're an antivax person, you automatically think it's correct bc it supports your preexisting beliefs)

Sources of Misinformation

1. The internet

-know how to evaluate an internet site

2. Social media sites: share health-related information with the most common topics being infectious disease, vaccines, and smoking

-Twitter: hypochondriasis

-Youtube: smoking (safety of vaping)

-Facebook: vaccine hesitancy

-These sites use scientific language without scientific evidence which helps the spread

Other sources of misinformation

1. Preprints: full drafts of research papers that are shared publicly before they have ever been peer reviewed

-benefits: if authors get such valuable information that they want to get it out quickly

-drawbacks: potential for misinformation. Ex: preprints on the use of ivermectin for COVID- this paper was pulled bc was flawed (had medical misinformation, not disinformation)

2. Predatory Journals: organizations that publish counterfeit journals that frequently falsely claim to provide peer review to exploit the open access model in which the author pays to have their work published

3. Direct-to-Consumer Advertising (DTC)

-prescription ads monitored by the FDA (new steps underway)

-others unregulated (Ex: weight loss products, ED aids, hair growth products, treatments for Alzheimer's disease)

Examples of Misinformation

1. Vaccine Hesitancy

-COVID-19 vaccine: impact of infertility misinformation

-Measles vaccine: once eliminated but now a resurgence in the US. Rooted in a retracted 1998 study linking MMR vaccine to autism

2. Unapproved and potential harmful therapies

-Ivermectin: high demand remains despite serious ADRs- Fivefold increase in calls to poison control centers. Continued publication of preprint publications, later retracted

Strategies to prevent the spread of misinformation

1. Developing a framework for medication information/ evidence evaluation:

a. evaluate clinical trials

b. outside of clinical trials, need to evaluate internet resources

-CRAAP (currency, relevancy, authority, accuracy, purpose

c. DTC advertising

-FDA's Bad Ad program: outreach to healthcare providers to raise awareness and provide a way to report any questionable marketing

2. Optimizing and incorporating relevant training and education:

-incorporating in IPPEs and APPEs, residency and fellowship

3. Empowering and incentivizing patients to critique information

a. social media examples: Instagram- removes content that violates its "COVID-19 and Vaccine policy"

b. financial remuneration from public health organizations to social media influencers

Professional and Governmental Organizations Stances

1. AACP: development of social media policies for schools of pharmacy that includes benefits, risks, and ethics associated with social media use; recognizes misinformation

2. CDC

3. HHS

4. UNICEF

______ can play a major role in correcting medical misinformation and helping educate the public

Pharmacy students