Your health. There’s nothing more important, but health misinformation is everywhere these days. Do you know how to protect yourself?

In a 2022 poll, close to three-quarters of American adults reported they had been exposed to inaccurate medical and health information. That’s a shocking statistic, but not surprising in the world we live in. The poll is two years old, but I suspect if it was repeated today, the numbers would be worse.

I’m currently taking a Plain Language in Health Literacy course and some of the readings are alarming, to say the least. In a world where anyone can post anything online, we need to be vigilant. When it comes to health, the repercussions of believing and following the wrong information can be dire.

As you might expect, social media was the number one source of misinformation cited in the poll. What you might not expect is that incorrect information spread by friends and family was a close second.

For those of us who don’t work in the health field, medical information can be difficult to understand. In the poll, close to half of respondents reported low confidence in their ability to distinguish the accuracy of medical information. The people spreading misinformation are counting on that!

How to Protect Yourself Against Health Misinformation

We can’t all be experts on everything but there are a few things we do to protect ourselves.

Consider the Source of the Information

When receiving medical information, it’s important to ensure it’s coming from a credible source. Ask yourself a few questions:

• Where did it originate?
• What are the medical credentials of the individual sharing it?
• Does the individual or organization sharing it have something to gain from spreading misinformation? One of my very wise co-workers often says, “Follow the money”. She’s right. 

Think Before You Share

It’s so easy to share information online without fact checking. Don’t be fooled by clickbait designed to get an emotional response. Before you share anything, make sure you are absolutely certain it’s true. If you’re not a medical expert, that means doing some homework beyond clicking the link and reading what the original poster had to say.

Use Trustworthy Sources to do your Homework

Fact checking means building a list of trustworthy sources you can use to verify information. Universities and Medical Schools are a good start, as are sites like Healthline, iSeek, and the National Library of Medicine.

And if the information relates to your own personal health, there’s no better source than your medical team. Following my breast cancer diagnosis, my oncologist told me to “Stay away from Dr. Google!” and she suggested credible sources like breastcancer.org which is run by a doctor who is a breast cancer survivor. Similar sites exist for other forms of cancer and other illnesses.

Call People out for Sharing False Information

Finally, if your research finds that the information is incorrect and the source was family or friends, politely let them know you did your homework and found it not to be true. Don’t get drawn into an argument with them. You won’t convince them, and you’ll just end up frustrated. During the pandemic, I avoided and unfollowed many people who insisted on sharing false information.

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When it comes to health, following the wrong information can be serious and even fatal. Be skeptical and educate yourself using reliable sources. You wouldn’t let your unqualified cousin or neighbour perform your surgery, so don’t let them give you unsolicited medical advice.

Do you have other ideas on how we can protect ourselves against health misinformation? Drop a comment below and let me know.

Learn more about me in my bio and on my personal blog at BoomerEcoCrusader.com. You can also find me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.