The internet can be an amazing source of information, but some health news reports we see there can be based on sketchy science, and many social media posts are often simply an opinion based on hearsay and rumors. How do you tell what is real news and important information we should act on?
McMaster University’s Optimal Aging Portal suggests 6 tips to identify health information we can trust:
Look at the source – Look for claims or recommendations that are supported by studies, ideally published in a credible academic journal, or ones that are based on information from a government, university or other site that is unlikely to have a biased agenda.You may have noticed I almost always have a list of references at the bottom of my blogs. I want you to be able to check out where my information and facts came from.
What’s in it for them? – Years ago, when the internet was new, I had a pharmacy student with me while searching for information on the herbal medicine, ginko. I quickly found what looked like a perfect site. My student didn’t say a word, but scrolled down and pointed to a button that said, “click here to buy”. The purpose of the website was to sell product. I looked through the site with a different eye and quickly noticed the statement “this medicine is safer than aspirin”… as a pharmacist, I know that aspirin can cause severe bleeding in the digestive system in some people. Suddenly, I realized information can be presented in a way that encourages people to buy when they have something to sell you, rather than just to inform. Even studies will skew to emphasizing the positive and explaining away the negative if they are trying to keep their sponsor happy. We can all learn from our students, and she was much more savvy than I was back in the mid-90s!
How large was the study? – The larger a study is, the less likely the results happened by chance, and the more likely the results will apply to the general population. If, say, a new vaccine was tested on 10 people and none got sick on exposure to the virus, there would still be the possibility that all 10 could be individuals who were naturally resistant. But if it was tested on 1000 people, it is more likely this group would be representative of the general population.
Was there a control group? – Good quality studies are “randomized” (they select participants randomly) and they compare the treatment group to a “control” group that does not receive the treatment. The control group helps to account for factors other than the medication or procedure being studied that could influence the result. Studies of pain medications, for example, sometimes find that as many as 90% of the control group can respond to a placebo (or sugar pill that looks like the medication). This shows that medications can sometimes have a positive effect based simply on the belief that they will work. Scientists believe this happens through an action of our immune system, and it is known as the “placebo effect”. Amazingly, the placebo effect can work even when the patient knows it’s a placebo. So, it’s very important to factor in this effect when evaluating a medicine or procedure.
How long did the study continue? – Short-term benefits from treatments are important (e.g. how quickly does an antibiotic cure an infection?) but studying for a longer time can provide information about long-term benefits and what side-effects or harms can be caused by the treatment. Also, repeating the study in a different location and, ideally, with different researchers is important to verify the study results.
Does this information/study apply to me? – We are all individuals with our own characteristics, but studies are designed to predict average results in a large population. Vaccines are a good example of this: overall, vaccines reduce the chance a disease will spread through the population. But there are certain individuals who have experienced negative reactions and should not take vaccines, and others (e.g. with a weak immune system) who do not respond to vaccines. It is important to identify these individuals and find other ways to protect them from the disease. However, the overall benefit to the rest of the population from vaccines is still valid. In fact, when most of the population is vaccinated against an infection, it cannot spread and this will protect those who cannot take the vaccine or who do not respond to it.
-- You may also have your own needs, preferences and circumstances to consider when you make a health decision. For example, those with breathing problems such as emphysema or asthma, may not be able to tolerate wearing a filtering mask to protect them from exposure to the coronavirus when in public. However, if those around them wear one, even a simple cloth mask, they will be protected.
-- It is beneficial to talk to a health professional that knows you, like your doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist, to help you interpret health information and make health decisions.
Lately, there has been a lot of news about possible treatments and vaccines for the coronavirus. We are all anxious for a cure or prevention so we can get back to our normal lives, so early results of studies can make the news even though the testing process is really just beginning. Science takes time…results must be tested and proven and, as with hydroxychloroquine, initial suggestions of positive results may be proven incorrect as the testing process evolves. We all need to realize that “preliminary results” are just that… a suggestion that this might work, but just an early suggestion. We need to remember we’re in this pandemic for the long haul and continue the tested prevention strategies of physical distancing, hand washing, staying home and now, wearing a mask when in public when distancing cannot be maintained. It will take time to find a cure or prevention. We want to stop the current spread and prevent the second wave that scientists predict will happen.
So, it’s always a good idea to be cautious about health information in the news and especially on social media. Always look for the original source of the information—who is making the claim—before you act on it or share it with others, no matter how logical it might sound.
References:
Don’t believe the hype: 6 tips to identify trustworthy health information—McMaster Optimal Aging Portal
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