Published September 2, 2025
Many people use social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter [now called X]) to share information about lots of things. For example, if your dishwasher breaks, you can do a quick search to find out what other people recommend to fix it. However, it may not help you fix the problem if your dishwasher was made by a different manufacturer.
Some people also share tips on treating medical conditions. This information can also spread quickly online. We see that with diet trends, for example. However, some of this medical information is false or misleading. This is called medical misinformation which can lead people to ask for or try unsafe treatments. And this may result in avoiding effective treatments. Examples include:
Health literacy can help fight misinformation. Personal health literacy means understanding and using health information to make decisions. Organizational health literacy means helping people find and use health information.
About 59% of US adults search for medical information online. Some health influencers take advantage of this to make money by promoting unsafe treatments. Others share misinformation because they believe it's true.
Social media platforms try to stop misinformation, but it's hard to remove all false content.
Healthcare providers can help people make better health decisions by providing clear, accurate information. Improving health literacy helps people identify misinformation so they can take an active role in their healthcare.
Community, governing, and regulatory groups need to make health literacy a priority. They need to develop programs to educate the community about medical myths. Sometimes they can have public figures (i.e., celebrities, sports figures) become a spokesperson to help share accurate health information. And these groups need to advocate for stronger regulations on social media platforms.
Healthcare organizations should monitor social media and news for misinformation trends. They should hold meetings to get feedback from patient advisory councils. It is also important for organizational leaders to support staff dealing with misinformation by developing materials to help them address common misconceptions.
Healthcare providers need to listen to patients’ concerns and questions and provide evidence-based information in a simple way. They should be able to help patients find reliable sources and verify information.
Here’s what you can do: Build strong relationships with your healthcare providers. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about different treatment options, even those you have learned about online. Your doctor, pharmacist, and nurse should be able to help you determine what is good information and what is not. From there, together you can decide what treatment option is best for you. The main goal is to keep you safe and healthy, without causing harm.
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