John Robert Bautista1, Yan Zhang2, Jacek Gwizdka2. 1. School of Information, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Center for Health Communication, Moody College of Communication, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA. Electronic address: jrbautista@utexas.edu. 2. School of Information, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Health misinformation on social media is a public health concern, and healthcare professionals can help correct it. However, research on how they correct health misinformation on social media is rare. OBJECTIVE: To develop a conceptual model that demonstrates how healthcare professionals correct health misinformation on social media. METHODS: In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted between January and March 2020 with 30 U.S. healthcare professionals (15 registered nurses and 15 medical doctors). Participants were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling and interviewed via mobile phone calls (using their mobile phone number) or apps (via Zoom or Skype). Interview data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. RESULTS: This study presents a two-phased conceptual model that shows healthcare professionals' acts of correcting health misinformation on social media (e.g., Twitter and Facebook). The first phase involves acts of authentication by which healthcare professionals verify health-related social media posts to be true or not. They undergo the process of internal acts of authentication (i.e., checking the author, checking for cues, checking the topic) and, if needed, external acts of authentication (i.e., examining the author and examining the content). When social media posts are deemed to contain health misinformation, they proceed to the second phase - acts of correction. In this phase, they undergo correction preparation (i.e., reflect, reveal, relate, and respect) and correction dissemination (i.e., private priming, public priming, public rebuttal, and private rebuttal). CONCLUSIONS: The study proposed a conceptual model that shows how healthcare professionals correct health misinformation on social media. The findings can guide healthcare professionals when identifying and correcting health misinformation on and off social media, and can guide health authorities when developing campaigns against health misinformation.
BACKGROUND: Health misinformation on social media is a public health concern, and healthcare professionals can help correct it. However, research on how they correct health misinformation on social media is rare. OBJECTIVE: To develop a conceptual model that demonstrates how healthcare professionals correct health misinformation on social media. METHODS: In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted between January and March 2020 with 30 U.S. healthcare professionals (15 registered nurses and 15 medical doctors). Participants were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling and interviewed via mobile phone calls (using their mobile phone number) or apps (via Zoom or Skype). Interview data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. RESULTS: This study presents a two-phased conceptual model that shows healthcare professionals' acts of correcting health misinformation on social media (e.g., Twitter and Facebook). The first phase involves acts of authentication by which healthcare professionals verify health-related social media posts to be true or not. They undergo the process of internal acts of authentication (i.e., checking the author, checking for cues, checking the topic) and, if needed, external acts of authentication (i.e., examining the author and examining the content). When social media posts are deemed to contain health misinformation, they proceed to the second phase - acts of correction. In this phase, they undergo correction preparation (i.e., reflect, reveal, relate, and respect) and correction dissemination (i.e., private priming, public priming, public rebuttal, and private rebuttal). CONCLUSIONS: The study proposed a conceptual model that shows how healthcare professionals correct health misinformation on social media. The findings can guide healthcare professionals when identifying and correcting health misinformation on and off social media, and can guide health authorities when developing campaigns against health misinformation.
Authors: Swathikan Chidambaram; Yathukulan Maheswaran; Calvin Chan; Lydia Hanna; Hutan Ashrafian; Sheraz R Markar; Viknesh Sounderajah; John C Alverdy; Ara Darzi Journal: JMIR Form Res Date: 2022-05-16
Authors: Marina L Reppucci; Luis De La Torre; Kaci Pickett; Lea Wehrli; Margo M Nolan; Jill Ketzer; Andrea Bischoff Journal: Pediatr Surg Int Date: 2022-05-19 Impact factor: 2.003
Authors: Michael A Gisondi; Rachel Barber; Jemery Samuel Faust; Ali Raja; Matthew C Strehlow; Lauren M Westafer; Michael Gottlieb Journal: J Med Internet Res Date: 2022-02-01 Impact factor: 5.428
Authors: Michael A Gisondi; Daniel Chambers; Tatum Minh La; Alexa Ryan; Adyant Shankar; Athena Xue; Rachel Anne Barber Journal: J Med Internet Res Date: 2022-02-15 Impact factor: 5.428