One of cardiology’s most prominent leaders has written a new commentary on how cardiologists can fight back against medical misinformation and disinformation. Patients should be able to trust their physicians and health systems, he wrote, but misinformation and disinformation can actively erase that trust—and once it is gone, there is a chance that it will never come back.
Edward T.A. Fry, MD, president of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and a veteran cardiologist with Ascension St. Vincent Heart Center in Indianapolis, shared the commentary in the ACC’s flagship journal, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.[1]
The difference between misinformation and disinformation, Fry explained, is that misinformation is shared by people who mean no harm. Disinformation, on the other hand, is created and shared with “malicious intent.”
How did disinformation get so bad?
Misinformation and disinformation have both been significant issues for quite some time, but their impact has arguably never been greater than it is right now. What caused things to reach this point? Two of the biggest factors appear to be the rise of social media and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With the first wave of COVID-19 leading to a global shutdown in March 2020, affecting all parts of daily life, including schools, the economy, transportation, sports and entertainment, and even family gatherings, there was a perfect storm for the creation and dissemination of medical misinformation and disinformation fueled by a combination of the daily deluge of ‘facts’ and an apocalyptic sense of doom resulting in a generalized sense of anxiety,” Fry wrote. “Social scientists cite a volume of information exceeding one’s ability to comprehend and the presence of anxiety as the two greatest risks of being susceptible to the effects of misinformation.”
Another important factor, he added, has been the way that fewer academic studies are going through a proper peer review process, and early study results are being shared online with little context. Hydroxychloroquine, for instance, was very briefly seen as a potential therapy for COVID-19 during the early stages of the pandemic. Later on, it was found to be harmful to patients, but it was too late—patients all over the United States were determined to take hydroxychloroquine, and some even believed the government was limiting treatments due to some sort of vast conspiracy.
What can cardiologists and other physicians do to combat misinformation?
One way physicians can fight back against misinformation and disinformation is reviewing new research as it is released and highlighting studies that can truly be trusted by patients.
The ACC set up a “COVID Hub” during the pandemic for this very reason, only sharing content that was meticulously reviewed by the organization’s Science and Quality Committee.
“All clinical guidance on the Hub was subject to revision as further information and evidence on COVID-19 became available,” Fry wrote. “Adaptation and modification to local circumstances and new developments was encouraged. This was an effective example of mitigating medical misinformation and preventing disinformation.”
One-on-one conversations between patients and their physicians are one of the most effective ways to limit misinformation and disinformation. Healthcare providers need to know what misinformation their patients are being exposed to on a regular basis, address fears and anxieties related to that misinformation and provide “factual, objective sources” of accurate information.
Fry concluded his commentary by highlighting how important it is for the ACC and other medical groups to focus on such tools as peer-reviewed studies, clinical practice guidelines and educational materials for patients.
He also noted that sticking to the facts—and nothing but the facts—is perhaps “the most effective antidote against an epidemic of misinformation.”
Read the full commentary here.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.