The Impact of Misinformation in Public Health and Clinical Practice

1. Jamie Gray

1. Distributed eLibrary

1. Online

1. Minimum of 3 enrollees

During this two-week elective, students will gain an understanding of important strategies to manage information (with an emphasis on clinical practice) during health crises with associated misinformation. As part of understanding the past, current and future challenges related to health information, students will also explore key considerations when communicating around scientific topics. For example, how must communication (particularly writing) change for different audiences (e.g. policymakers, patients, and medical colleagues). Students will then combine their learnings around the health information landscape and communication to consider how to both amplify and measure their own contributions to the health information landscape. Both traditional research measures (e.g. impact factor of publications) as well as social media will be explored.

Content will be delivered to the students through a combination of video lecture, readings, and small group discussion. Passing the course will be determined by participation in course discussion, as well as completion of a single page reflection assignment. Students will submit a three-page literature review around a selected health misinformation topic with specific recommendations for addressing the problem as a final evaluation. A status of pass/fail will be awarded based on satisfactory completion of all three requirements.

Course objectives:

By course completion, students will be able to:

• identify and describe factors related to health misinformation and its potential implications on clinical practice
• discuss key considerations for communicating with various audiences on science topics
• summarize ways to amplify their impact as a care provider and contributor to the health information landscape using traditional measures and social media.