Medical misinformation harms people from communities that are marginalized

Medical misinformation has the potential to negatively impact health outcomes for people who have been marginalized. This reality became all too clear during the COVID-19 pandemic when medical misinformation, myths, and conspiracy theories abounded.  

In a recent study, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity (CHE) researchers concluded that lower educational levels, health literacy, and greater medical mistrust are associated with misinformed COVID-19 beliefs.

 

Addressing health misinformation with health literacy strategies

 On July 29, 2020, the Roundtable on Health Literacy convened a public workshop to explore the challenges resulting from the proliferation of health and medical misinformation and disinformation, particularly as they relate to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The virtual workshop explored the role of fact-checking organizations (FCOs) and the technology industry in addressing misinformation and disinformation, the social psychology behind their spread, and health literacy strategies to support this ongoing multidisciplinary work.

Understanding and addressing misinformation among populations that experience health disparities

The projects supported by this initiative seek to stimulate multidisciplinary research to understand and mitigate the harmful impacts of misinformation and disinformation among populations that experience health disparities and to inform public health practice. Research is sought to understand how misinformation and disinformation operate as public health threats and the consequences of exposure to that spur distrust in public health and medical practice.