“Countering Misinformation That Perpetuates Health Inequities”

1. Introduction 

In the technologically advancing world, through digital platforms spreading false information about medicine and health has accelerated. Thus, those who are disadvantaged and media illiterate blindly follow conventional and/or radical health misinformation, leading to social health disparity. 

2. Medical misinformation

   1. Medical misinformation can vary from simply the false conventional wisdom such as chilly weather causes common cold to negatively impacting ideas such as vaccination causes autism, creating poor vaccine uptake in certain groups (broadly social determinants of misinformation).

3. Health inequities 

   1. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) health inequity is defined as systematic differences in the health status of different population groups.

   2. Social determinants of misinformation are the main group described as those with health inequities due to being susceptible to health misinformation. 

4. The relationship between medical misinformation and health inequities

Medical misinformation causes families and communities to make irrational decisions concerning their health. Due to this causation, the effect is the constantly increasing disparity between those who are higher in the social hierarchy as they are better informed due to better education and health in general. 

5. Ways to counter 

Each individual in our society has different roles; thus, the extent to how one can counter this issue differs. However, as individuals one can learn to be media literate by gathering information from several news platforms and using reliable sources such as MedlinePlus and Healthline. Furthermore, consuming oneself to social media, such as doomscrolling, creates this tumbling effect of less attention span to the lack of critical thinking, superficial engagement of information, and the tendency to accept information uncritically. Thus, to stop the perpetual spreading of health information, one should limit the use of social media platforms for short video entertainments. 

https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-misinformation-advisory.pdf

https://www.cma.ca/healthcare-for-real/why-health-misinformation-social-media-dangerous