Researchers at Wake Forest College Faculty of Drugs have obtained a five-year, $3.4 million grant from the Nationwide Institute on Growing older, a part of the Nationwide Institutes of Well being, to check medical misinformation.
In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, public mistrust in science and medication grew. The hyper-politicized atmosphere, evolving well being pointers as scientists discovered extra and disagreements about reliable sources for well being data solely intensified the unfold of misinformation.
Whereas many physicians talk about medical misinformation with their sufferers throughout scientific visits, there’s little recognized analysis on the elements that help or impede these conversations.
Well being care suppliers play an important function in mitigating misinformation. Nevertheless, we’d like a greater understanding of why physicians could select to not confront affected person misinformation.”
Zubin Grasp, Ph.D., affiliate professor of social sciences and well being coverage at Wake Forest College Faculty of Drugs and examine’s principal investigator
Grasp mentioned that older sufferers are additionally disproportionately affected by well being misinformation, which may damage knowledgeable decision-making and well being outcomes.
For the examine, the analysis workforce will conduct 100 interviews and survey a nationwide pattern of 1,400 physicians to guage attitudes about confronting medical misinformation surrounding two subjects recognized to have rampant misinformation: COVID-19 vaccinations and unproven stem-cell therapies.
Grasp mentioned whereas these subjects differ of their politicization, misinformation in each areas is a menace to public well being. For instance, unproven stem cell therapies haven’t been scientifically examined for affected person security and effectiveness, and but, there is a direct-to-consumer market that prospers.
Utilizing on-line focus teams with older grownup sufferers, researchers may even consider communication preferences and willingness in being confronted with evidence-based well being data from physicians.
Grasp mentioned that future analysis will contain translating information from these research to create a toolkit for physicians that may be examined and carried out inside a well being system.
“Well being care suppliers are extremely trusted data brokers,” Grasp mentioned. “This funding will assist our long-term purpose in understanding the very best strategies to extend well being literacy and counter medical misinformation amongst an growing older public.”
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