Navigating Medical Misinformation: A Guide to Reliable Health Information

How to Spot and Avoid Misinformation

Even for people who have a high level of media literacy and are social media savvy, discerning what medical information you read or watch is accurate, evidence based, and objective is getting more complicated. Some incorrect information falls into the category of misinformation—false information that’s shared by someone who believes it to be true without the intention to mislead. Other incorrect information can be categorized as disinformation—information that’s created and spread with the end goal of deceiving or harming someone.

Social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X are all sources of varying amounts of medical misinformation. One study of information about ADHD on TikTok found that more than half of the claims in the videos that the researchers reviewed lacked scientific accuracy. Other misinformation posted on social media has focused on mental health, birth control, and the safety of sunscreen.

While a great deal of this information is posted by people with no medical or scientific background, for example wellness influencers, some misinformation comes from what should be reliable sources. In one instance, after several children at an elementary school were diagnosed with measles, the state surgeon general of Florida sent a letter to parents at the school “deferring to parents or guardians to make decisions about school attendance.” That advice is counter to the CDC-recommended 21-day quarantine period for unvaccinated individuals after potential measles exposure, the long-held norm for handling this situation.

AI is also playing a role in the spread of inaccurate medical information. AI search tools have been found to include incomplete and inaccurate information and links to sites where the information was not science-backed. AI also allows users to create images, videos, and documents that look real, but sometimes contain false or misleading information.

Sources for evidence-based health information

There are reliable alternatives to health information on social media and other sources that may not be evidence based. Websites with the domains .org, .edu, and .gov can be a good resource for health information. Some sites to consider include:

• Healthfinder: healthfinder.gov
• Medline Plus: medlineplus.gov
• FamilyDoctor: familydoctor.org
• HealthyChildren.org: healthychildren.org
• National Library of Medicine: nih.gov
• National Cancer Institute: cancer.gov
• The Vaccine Education Center of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia: chop.edu/vaccine-education-center
• The American College of Obstetrician and Gynecologists: acog.org/womens-health
• Sites for major academic medical centers
• The Kaiser Family Foundation: Health Misinformation Monitor

Strategies to help you assess medical information and avoid misinformation

Inaccurate, misleading, or biased health information can have a detrimental impact on your health, slowing down the process of getting an accurate diagnosis from a trusted healthcare provider or even harming your health. The best defense is to learn how to differentiate between accurate, evidence-based medical and health information and information that’s false, misleading, or designed to sell you something.

These questions can help you assess online health information:

• Who is the site sponsor or who is presenting the information? On social media, search the name of the person who’s providing the health advice to find out if they have a scientific or healthcare background. On websites, check for an “About Us” or “About Our Organization” section. This should include information on who runs the site, the organization’s mission or goals, and who pays for or sponsors the site. Sites with a domain of .com are usually run by for-profit companies, so check the information for bias or conflict of interest. Are ads and sponsored content on the site clearly labeled?
• Is the information accurate and up to date? The website should cite its sources and those sources should include current scientific literature, not studies that are decades old. Check the medical credentials of the people who have prepared the information. Does the material or website include a date when the information was last updated? Check if the information has been reviewed by experts and what the experts’ medical or scientific credentials are.
• What information does the site collect about you and why? If the site asks for personal information (name, age, email address, etc.), it should explain how this information will be used. Does the site share or sell any of this information? Carefully read the site’s privacy policy before providing any information.
• Is the site’s language exaggerated? Social media posts that contain inaccurate medical information often use exaggerated or inflammatory language to attract views. Common words include breakthrough, revolutionary, and secret. These types of posts often also use conspiratorial language, like, “The cancer cure big pharma doesn’t want you to know about.”
• Are studies peer-reviewed? If a study is mentioned, look for the original study online. Check when it was published and if it was published in a reputable, peer-reviewed medical or scientific journal. It’s also helpful to find out who funded the study to determine if the funding biased the researchers’ approach or conclusions.
• Is there a “contact us” section? There should be a section on the site that includes how you can contact the site owner or sponsor. Some sites only have an email address for contact, but others include a physical address and/or phone number.

The support of PinnacleCare’s healthcare experts

If you have questions about health information you’ve seen online, talk with your healthcare provider. A PinnacleCare Health Advisor is also a good source of accurate, evidence-based health information and can help you gather the information you need to understand any diagnosis, treatment option, or condition.

PinnacleCare is a member of the Sun Life Financial Inc. (“Sun Life”) family of companies. PinnacleCare and its employees do not diagnose medical conditions, recommend treatment options or provide medical care, and any information or services provided should not be considered medical advice. Any medical decisions should be made only after consultation with and at the direction of your medical provider. Any person or entity who provides health care services following a referral or other service provided does so independently and not as an agent or representative of PinnacleCare.

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