Health Misinformation

What is health misinformation and why should we care?

“Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it.”
-Jonathan Swift

  • The United States Surgeon General’s Advisory on Building a Healthy Information Environment defines health misinformation as “information that is false, inaccurate, or misleading according to the best available evidence at the time.”
  • Health misinformation is a serious threat to public health, as it not only causes confusion but also sows mistrust of health care providers and the healthcare delivery system, reducing the willingness of people to seek effective treatment for their conditions.1
  • Bottom Line: Health Misinformation Costs Lives.

Not only can belief in misinformation lead to harmful judgements and decision-making, it can also exert an influence on people’s reasoning even after it has been corrected.2 Misinformation can lead to the impression that no consensus exists on a topic or that there are no credible sources of information, thus generating feelings of apathy, confusion, and/or mistrust, which has the potential to contribute to making detrimental health decisions.3

This website was developed for you as a healthcare professional to not only understand more about health misinformation but more importantly, was created to help you confidently and effectively address health misinformation with patients.

Click here to begin or use the drop-down menu titled, “The Three C’s Approach.”