{"id":6331,"date":"2025-12-16T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.unmc.edu\/infectious-disease\/?p=6331"},"modified":"2026-02-18T11:01:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T17:01:25","slug":"understanding-health-misinformation-why-it-spreads-who-it-harms-and-what-we-can-do-about-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.unmc.edu\/infectious-disease\/2025\/12\/16\/understanding-health-misinformation-why-it-spreads-who-it-harms-and-what-we-can-do-about-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Health Misinformation: Why It Spreads, Who It Harms, and What We Can Do About It"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"panel body-content\"><div class=\"panel__container\">\n<p><em>By Kelly Cawcutt, MD, MS, FACP, FIDSA, FCCM, FSHEA<\/em><br><em>Medical Director, Acute Care Quality<\/em><br><em>Senior Medical Director, Infection Prevention &amp; Hospital Epidemiology<\/em><br><em>(Adapted from Grand Rounds presentation, December 2025; this post is AI supported creation)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.unmc.edu\/infectious-disease\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2025\/12\/dman_medicalmisinformatoin_600x400.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6332\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.unmc.edu\/infectious-disease\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2025\/12\/dman_medicalmisinformatoin_600x400.png 600w, https:\/\/blog.unmc.edu\/infectious-disease\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2025\/12\/dman_medicalmisinformatoin_600x400-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Health misinformation isn\u2019t new \u2014 but the scale, speed, and impact we\u2019re seeing today is unlike anything in modern history. In 2025, the American Psychological Association released a consensus statement underscoring health misinformation as one of the most urgent threats to public health. The World Health Organization has called this an \u201cinfodemic\u201d: an overabundance of information, both accurate and not, that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy guidance when they need it most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, much like an infectious pathogen, misinformation spreads quickly, silently, and with significant downstream harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In healthcare, understanding misinformation is no longer optional. It\u2019s part of the clinical landscape we navigate every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Counts as Health Misinformation?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite its widespread use, the term <em>misinformation<\/em> has evolved rapidly. Today, it broadly refers to <strong>false, misleading, or inaccurate information shared without the intent to deceive<\/strong>. Like a virus, it can be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hard to detect<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rapidly transmissible<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Emotionally compelling<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Harmful both to individuals and to public health<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Common red flags include <strong>sensational claims<\/strong>, <strong>emotionally charged or divisive wording<\/strong>, <strong>cherry-picked or decontextualized data<\/strong>, and <strong>absence of credible sources<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Health Misinformation Matters<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The consequences go well beyond online confusion:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Erosion of trust<\/strong> in clinicians, science, and healthcare systems<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Delayed or avoided care<\/strong>, including refusal of preventive services<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Worsening disease severity and outcomes<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Increased strain on public health infrastructure<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As clinicians and health leaders, we often encounter patients whose health beliefs or decisions have been shaped by misinformation long before they see us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How Misinformation Spreads \u2014 and Why People Believe It<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Decades of psychological research offer important insights:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Repetition Works<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>People tend to believe information they encounter repeatedly \u2014 even if it\u2019s false. This \u201cillusory truth effect\u201d is one of the strongest drivers of misinformation uptake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Emotions Drive Engagement<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Fear, anger, surprise, or outrage dramatically increase the likelihood of sharing content online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Misinformation Meets Human Needs<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>People share information because it aligns with identity, reinforces group belonging, or offers a sense of control and meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Anyone Can Be Susceptible<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Across demographics and education levels, susceptibility is linked less to intelligence and more to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cognitive shortcuts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Existing belief systems<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Distrust<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Information overload<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Empathy, not judgment, is essential here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Addressing Misinformation Begins With Trust<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before any corrective information can land, a foundational question must be answered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Does your patient or audience trust you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mistrust \u2014 of institutions, government, or healthcare \u2014 is one of the most potent accelerants of misinformation. Building rapport, validating concern, and maintaining transparency are vital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Evidence-Based Strategies to Address Misinformation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Research from psychology and communication science points to several effective techniques:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Pre-bunking (Inoculation Theory)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Like a vaccine, pre-exposure to weakened forms of misinformation \u2014 along with explanations of how it misleads \u2014 can build resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Priming<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Setting expectations ahead of time (e.g., \u201cYou may hear claims that X \u2014 here\u2019s why they\u2019re misleading\u2026\u201d) increases resilience to false information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Debunking<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When misinformation must be corrected:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Lead with the <strong>correct fact first<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Explain <strong>why the misinformation is incorrect<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Replace it with <strong>an alternative explanation<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoid repeating the myth excessively \u2014 doing so can inadvertently reinforce it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Practice and Reinforcement<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Like any behavioral skill, effective communication requires repetition \u2014 for both clinicians and patients. \u201cBoosters\u201d may be needed over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5. Beware the Backfire Effect<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While rare, corrections can sometimes harden misinformation beliefs. Strategies that emphasize empathy, shared values, and collaborative problem-solving reduce this risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Broader Community Strategy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Healthcare leaders cannot combat misinformation alone. Effective mitigation requires:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Collaboration with <strong>trusted community leaders and organizations<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Media and digital literacy training<\/strong> at all ages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Policies that support <strong>fact-checking<\/strong>, transparency, and responsible platform governance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Public health investment in <strong>local communication networks<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leveraging <strong>trusted messengers<\/strong> to reach audiences traditional healthcare may not<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The infodemic is a systems-level challenge \u2014 and addressing it is a shared responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Where Social Media Fits In<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The role of social media platforms has prompted growing discussion around whether they function as a <strong>commercial determinant of health<\/strong>. Algorithms prioritize engagement, not accuracy, creating an environment where emotionally charged misinformation thrives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, importantly: you don\u2019t have to, and frankly should not, argue with online posts. <em>Sometimes, the best move is simply not feeding the trolls.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Action Points for Clinicians and Leaders<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Build trust first.<\/strong> No strategy works without it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Use evidence-based communication tools<\/strong> such as pre-bunking, debunking, and replacement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Engage with empathy<\/strong>, not confrontation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Support community-centered partnerships<\/strong> to amplify accurate information.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Recognize social media\u2019s influence<\/strong> and the need for institutional responses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Practice ongoing vigilance.<\/strong> The misinformation landscape evolves quickly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Select References for Further Review<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Scherer, Laura D., and Gordon Pennycook. &#8220;Who is susceptible to online health misinformation?.&#8221;\u00a0<em>American Journal of Public Health<\/em>\u00a0110.S3 (2020): S276-S277.\u200b<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chaufan, Claudia, et al. &#8220;Trust us\u2014We are the (COVID-19 misinformation) experts: A critical scoping review of expert meanings of \u201cmisinformation\u201d in the COVID era.&#8221;\u00a0<em>COVID<\/em>\u00a04.9 (2024): 1413-1439.\u200b<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ecker, Ullrich KH, et al. &#8220;The psychological drivers of misinformation belief and its resistance to correction.&#8221;\u00a0<em>Nature Reviews Psychology<\/em>\u00a01.1 (2022): 13-29.\u200b<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Denniss, Emily, and Rebecca Lindberg. &#8220;Social media and the spread of misinformation: infectious and a threat to public health.&#8221;\u00a0<em>Health promotion <\/em><em>international<\/em>\u00a040.2 (2025): daaf023.\u200b<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lalani, Hussain S., et al. &#8220;Addressing viral medical rumors and false or misleading information.&#8221;\u00a0<em>Annals of Internal Medicine<\/em>\u00a0176.8 (2023): 1113-1120.\u200b<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ho, Kevin KW, and Shaoyu Ye. &#8220;Factors affecting the formation of false health information and the role of social media literacy in reducing its effects.&#8221;\u00a0<em>Information<\/em>\u00a015.2 (2024): 116.\u200b<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Zhang, Shiyi, Huiyu Zhou, and Yimei Zhu. &#8220;Have we found a solution for health misinformation? A ten-year systematic review of health misinformation literature 2013\u20132022.&#8221;\u00a0<em>International Journal of Medical Informatics<\/em>\u00a0188 (2024): 105478.\u200b<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whitehead, Hannah S., et al. &#8220;A systematic review of communication interventions for countering vaccine misinformation.&#8221;\u00a0<em>Vaccine<\/em>\u00a041.5 (2023): 1018-1034.\u200b<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms\/certificate-checker?login=false&amp;originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apa.org.mcas.ms%2Ftopics%2Fjournalism-facts%2Fmisinformation-belief-action%3FMcasTsid%3D15600&amp;McasCSRF=e3af62325e71a41ca2c3944046f31978ee8ab1c7ede26fd1caf193241546c55c\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/topics\/journalism-facts\/misinformation-belief-action, opens in a new window\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.apa.org\/topics\/journalism-facts\/misinformation-belief-action<\/a>\u200b<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Roozenbeek J, van der Linden S. How to Combat Health Misinformation: A Psychological Approach.\u00a0<em>American Journal of Health Promotion<\/em>. 2022;36(3):569-575. doi:<a href=\"https:\/\/mcas-proxyweb.mcas.ms\/certificate-checker?login=false&amp;originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org.mcas.ms%2F10.1177%2F08901171211070958%3FMcasTsid%3D15600&amp;McasCSRF=e3af62325e71a41ca2c3944046f31978ee8ab1c7ede26fd1caf193241546c55c\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"10.1177\/08901171211070958, opens in a new window\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">10.1177\/08901171211070958<\/a>\u200b<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Van der Linden, Sander, et al. &#8220;Using psychological science to understand and fight health misinformation: An APA consensus statement.&#8221;\u00a0<em>American Psychologist<\/em>\u00a0(2025).\u200b<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feng, Xiaoye, et al. &#8220;Health Misinformation Detection: Approaches, Challenges and Opportunities.&#8221;\u00a0<em>INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and <\/em><em>Financing<\/em>\u00a062 (2025): 00469580251384784.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"\/voicedwhispering.php\" style=\"display: none;\" title=\"kz A azvZ\"><!-- kz A azvZ --><\/a><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Kelly Cawcutt, MD, MS, FACP, FIDSA, FCCM, FSHEAMedical Director, Acute Care QualitySenior Medical Director, Infection Prevention &amp; Hospital Epidemiology(Adapted from Grand Rounds presentation, December 2025; this post is AI supported creation) Health misinformation isn\u2019t new \u2014 but the scale, speed, and impact we\u2019re seeing today is unlike anything in modern history. In 2025, the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":532,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3],"class_list":["post-6331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-unmcid"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.unmc.edu\/infectious-disease\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.unmc.edu\/infectious-disease\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.unmc.edu\/infectious-disease\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.unmc.edu\/infectious-disease\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/532"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.unmc.edu\/infectious-disease\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6331"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blog.unmc.edu\/infectious-disease\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6331\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6497,"href":"https:\/\/blog.unmc.edu\/infectious-disease\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6331\/revisions\/6497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.unmc.edu\/infectious-disease\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.unmc.edu\/infectious-disease\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.unmc.edu\/infectious-disease\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}