Healthcare providers see a concerning trend in medical misinformation due to the increasing number of individuals, especially those who are Millennials and Generation Z, who often rely on social media to obtain quick medical information. Medical misinformation can harm and even deter patients from seeking proper medical care, thus adversely impacting clinical outcomes.
Various healthcare providers recently shared their concerns with Physician’s Weekly.
❯ “Most of my older patients don’t use social media platforms, and the subject is rarely discussed, but many of my younger patients rely on social media. The key issue is educating them about discerning reliable information from medical misinformation. Some have tried homemade remedies found on the internet to treat an issue, making it worse or delaying treatment.”
❯ “Some of my patients try to self-diagnose using medical information on social media platforms. I try to remind my patients that everything on the internet is unreliable, and conditions require proper diagnosis, medical treatment, and routine healthcare. I try to engage patients and direct them to reliable sources on the internet for medical information.”
❯ “Overall, I think many patients are influenced by a combination of social media, family, and friends, but for younger patients, the use of social media is common. Many times, we as healthcare professionals must sort out and educate patients about what treatment works and which ones will not.”
❯ “Many people use social media platforms as a ‘reliable’ source for medical advice, and while some are presented by HCPs, some information is not evidence-based and presented by individuals who are not medically trained. Our job as HCPs is to earn patients’ trust, educate them about recognizing misinformation, direct them to reliable health resources, and work as a team to improve their health.”
As social media platforms continue to gain popularity as resources for medical information, healthcare professionals can play a vital role in combating medical misinformation. There is an opportunity to use these platforms to empower patients by expanding awareness about health issues, providing accurate and reliable medical information, and dispelling myths and misconceptions with evidence-based medical information.
