Misinformation online is a ‘real threat to public health’ says top NHS doctor
Misinformation online is becoming a “real threat to public health”, the NHS’s top doctor has warned.
Professor Frankie Swords, national medical director for NHS England, warned that people are seeking out health information from “unreliable” sources and are opting for “completely unproven miracle cures” over evidence-based medicine.
She said that the NHS needs to “get in” on social media sites like TikTok to counter the spread of misinformation online.
The health service needs to give “authoritative, sensible, useful advice where young people will naturally look for it,” she added.
Prof Swords told journalists: “There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and I worry that this is becoming a real threat to public health.
“People are more and more vulnerable to dangerous advice.
“Across the NHS we’re already seeing the impact of it, with people convinced that they have a specific condition, not wanting to use proven medical options or opting for unconventional or completely unproven miracle cures.
“There’s a lot of people more interested in their health which is great, but sometimes they’re getting their health information from places where the NHS and other trusted sources don’t usually provide it, and those sources can be highly unreliable with unqualified people purporting to offer proven health advice.
“We can’t stop that, so we’ve got to get in there to combat it.
“That’s why we’re launching a new TikTok channel, to put NHS content front and centre to challenge and counter the threat misinformation poses to people’s health.
“I filmed my first TikTok last week about the roll out of men B vaccinations for students, as that’s where many of them will be looking at other content anyway.
“We need to be giving authoritative, sensible, useful advice where young people will naturally look for it, not just on the Today Programme.
Last year health leaders were challenged to become “more visible” on online platforms after a poll revealed how many people turn to social media and AI chatbots for health advice.
The poll, conducted by Savanta on 3,575 men and 3,832 women aged 18 and over in England on behalf of patient champion Healthwatch England, found that around one in five are using social media for health information.
It also revealed that 9% of men and 7% of women in England use AI chatbots for health advice and information.
Healthwatch called on the NHS to “become more visible” on online platforms that people engage with each day.
Commenting, William Pett, acting director of policy and public affairs at Healthwatch England said: “Our research has found that one in five people (20%) are now using social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube for information on staying healthy.
“Just under one in 10 (8%) say they use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, such as Chat GPT, for the same purpose.
“Both figures are only likely to rise over the coming years.
“We have argued that this shift in how people find information about their health, with the risks it poses around misinformation, should be a wake-up call.
“We welcome that the NHS is following our recommendation to meet people where they are, with the launch of a dedicated NHS TikTok channel.
“By developing a stronger and more relatable presence on social media, the NHS can make sure accurate, evidence-based advice appears in the same feeds where misinformation spreads.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub
