Is Social Networking Source of Medical Misinformation?

Cited: ABC News

Social networking site websites like leader have become powerful tools in the search for information opinions that include things from celebrity gossip to natural disasters.  However, a new study that shows such sites could be potentially dangerous when it comes to medical advice and misinformation being given to millions of people.

A new study in the American Journal of Infection Control shows that over a four-month period in 2009, hundreds of Twitter users posted casual misinformation about antibiotics — which, in turn, reached more than a million of their followers.

“When we looked at tweets … we found that there are some basic categories like general mentioning of antibiotics or complaints about side effects and things like that, but there was also a category that was pretty interesting, where people were indicating misuse or misunderstanding of antibiotics,” study co-author Daniel Scanfeld told “Good Morning America.”

“And we found that to be really interesting, because one tweet indicating misuse of antibiotics could be spread potentially to hundreds of thousands of people via the Twitter network.”

While overall around 2 percent of the studied tweets contained misinformation, Scanfield said that even a single inaccurate tweet is broadcast on average to “tens of thousands of people.”

For example, Scanfeld said one tweet about antibiotics for a cold — which is not their intended use — reached around 850,000 people. In other cases, the study found people often tweeted about not finishing their antibiotics or offering to share them with others, a big no-no when it comes to medications.

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How to Avoid Misinformation on the Web

Tip 1: Confirm All Medical Information with a Reputable Source.  It’s fine to look online for answers to medical questions, but it’s crucial to verify what you find with a reputable source, such as your doctor.

Tip 2: Be Wary of Any Posting That’s Selling Something.  Be extra cautious if any postings or tweets are selling something. Some product claims have no basis in reality.

Tip 3: Know the Source!  Take a look at the Web site ending. Remember that “.com” Web sites are for-profit, “.edu” are educational sites and “.gov” are from the government. Many disease specific Web sites or medical association Web sites are “.org”. Get to know a few sites and bookmark them so you can go back easily.

Tip 4: Check Legitimate Web Resources.  Some online resources can be good sources for basic information you can consult in addition to talking with your doctor.

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My Take: I do not like Twitter.  The reason is very simple, social networking like Twitter takes a personal touch out of human relationships.  I wonder, if somebody does get bad advice on Twitter, could they be sued?  If they can, people are going to be looking into injury attorneys a lot more.  I think people who do not have a medical license and give bad medical advice should be held accountable in one way or another even if it means hiring personal injury attorneys to get compensation.

Just because somebody has a computer, it doesn’t mean they have to be giving advice on anything.  You do not know who you are talking to or what kind of situation they are in to be able to give them good advice.  Maybe it should be the NYC computer service or host server that should be held responsible.  That would be a matter for legal brains to figure out.

Getting medical advice over the Internet is just as bad as asking for computer help New York from someone who doesn’t know anything about computers.  Would you actually trust someone you don’t know to give you advice about your computer?  Then why would you ask someone you don’t know format will advice that affects your life?

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