Telling truth from fiction in our age of health disinformation

We rely on information to make health decisions every day, from daily habits that make us feel good to complicated treatments for serious health problems. When people have poor or deliberately falsified information, they can’t make informed and evidence-based health decisions. The challenge today is understanding the risks of poor or deceptive health information. In one study, 96 per cent of participants used an unreliable source when asked to look up health information, even though 70 per cent of participants said they were confident they could tell the difference between poor and good-quality sources.

While we know a lot of bad information circulates online and that health beliefs based on bad information are quite common, we don’t yet fully understand what health outcomes result from disinformation, misinformation and fake news. We do know misinformation or beliefs in medical conspiracies can affect health behaviours; people engage in different, potentially harmful actions like:

• Refusing diagnosis, treatment or management of a health problem
• Using alternative health products that have not been evaluated for efficacy or safety
• Refusing preventive measures or treatment of a contagious disease
• Broadening distrust of medical systems, medical professionals, or scientific evidence in general

Disinformation, misinformation and fake news are systemic issues, and the solution to these problems is likely also systemic. While many approaches are still emerging, individuals can take action to think critically about health information. A good start is identifying “red flags” that might signal disinformation and “green flags” that support trust:

Red flags

• You feel like you’re being persuaded rather than informed; you’re encouraged to “join them”
• You’re offered an extremely simple solution for a complicated problem
• There are financial incentives to tell you what you want to hear; you are encouraged to buy something
• The source claims to know “the truth” or wants you to believe that all doctors are wrong
• You encounter frequent fallacious claims like “natural is safer” (this isn’t true) or “chemicals are bad” (much of the world around us is a chemical)
• The information source also shares conspiracy theories (such as vaccine, Covid-19 or 5G conspiracies) or promotes political extremism (such as sharing far-right media sources, ideas or events)

Green flags

• You feel like you’re being provided information so you can make decisions with your doctor or other health professionals
• You know who is behind the information and what their credentials are
• The source provides citations and links; they show evidence behind their claims
• The information generally matches what you’ve found from other legitimate sources
• The information looks at both risks and benefits, positive and negative aspects—you don’t see a lot of bias

Your health decisions will be unique because your biology, health, lifestyle and other factors are unique. Even when health information comes from a credible source, you need to assess risks and benefits based on your personal situation, like your specific health issue, medications and supplements; accessibility of the treatment or support; and cost. Your doctor, health-care team or pharmacist can help you make the best decision for you. If you don’t have a family doctor and you don’t know who to ask about a health product, call HealthLinkBC at 8-1-1 to speak with a registered nurse or pharmacist.

Wellness and recovery are subjective. If you think a particular wellness approach improves or adds meaning to your day but isn’t strongly supported with evidence, that doesn’t mean it’s automatically bad, as long as:

• It fits with all of your other treatments and approaches
• It isn’t dangerous
• It isn’t a financial burden
• You understand the limits of the approach

Examine the intent of the information

• Ask yourself why information is being provided and how the source stands to benefit from you

Look at the source

• Aim for reputable sources, like universities, medical schools, government agencies and well-established non-profits; they provide citations and author names and review information regularly
• Try not to rely exclusively on social media posts and personal sites

Think like a scientist

• Look for a variety of sources
• Avoid seeking information just to prove your own position
• Be skeptical of inflexible or dogmatic sources that make unrealistic or unsubstantiated claims

Pay attention to the ask

• Notice that good sources will almost always tell you to talk to your doctor or care team for more information; they won’t make health decisions for you
• Avoid any source that tells you to ignore or delay medical care or only talk to a doctor they’ve “approved”

• For more on evaluating sources of mental health and substance use information, see the HeretoHelp info sheet
• To learn more about judging Covid-19 information, see: Pan American Health Organization. (2020). Understanding the infodemic and misinformation in the fight against COVID-19: Digital transformation toolkit

Stephanie Wilson is the editorial coordinator for the Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division.