Data indicate that one-third of viral cancer articles on social media platforms such as Facebook from 2018 to 2019 contained potentially harmful misinformation, the impact of which on scientific belief, trust, and decision-making needs to be further assessed and understood, according to findings reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Investigators assessed 200 articles, consisting of 50 of the most popular articles on 4 of the most common types of cancer—breast, prostate, colorectal, and lung cancer—on social media and found that 76.9% contained harmful misinformation. Articles containing misinformation were found to have higher median numbers of engagement than articles that were considered factual (Median interquartile range [IQR] = 2300 [range, 1200-4700] vs 1500 [810-4700]; P = .007).
“These data show that cancer information on social media is often inconsistent with expert opinion. This leaves patients in the confusing and uncomfortable position of determining the veracity of online information themselves or by talking to their physician. Most concerning, among the most popular articles on Facebook, articles containing misinformation and harmful information received statistically significantly more online engagement. This could result in a perpetuation of harmful misinformation, particularly within information silos curated for individuals susceptible to this influence,” the study’s authors wrote.
The internet notably boasts a bounty of health care...
Read Full Story: https://www.cancernetwork.com/view/social-media-proves-to-be-a-landscape-of-misinformation-on-cancer
Your content is great. However, if any of the content contained herein violates any rights of yours, including those of copyright, please contact us immediately by e-mail at media[@]kissrpr.com.