What Types of Covid-19 Misinformation Did US Physicians Spread and Where?

InfoEpi Lab

Image of snake wrapped around an apothecary bottle.

Summary

The study sheds light on the online misinformation propagated by US physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers found widespread, inaccurate, and potentially harmful COVID-19 misinformation propagated by US physicians on social media. Physicians from various specialties and regions contributed to the spread of misinformation.

Further research is needed to assess the extent of harms associated with physician propagation of misinformation and to improve accountability for misinformation propagation. These findings highlight the need for enhanced accountability and further research to assess and mitigate the potential harms associated with the spread of such misinformation by healthcare professionals.

Key Findings

Misinformation Types: During the COVID-19 pandemic, some US physicians surprisingly propagated various forms of misinformation, including misleading claims about vaccines, unapproved medications, mask-wearing, and conspiracy theories related to government and pharmaceutical companies.
Platforms for Misinformation: Various online platforms were utilized by physicians to spread misinformation, with Twitter being the most used platform, followed by Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and other third-party online platforms like news outlets.
Characteristics of Misinforming Physicians: A total of 52 US physicians, representing 28 different medical specialties and licensed or working in 29 states across the US, were identified as sources of COVID-19 misinformation. A significant 80.8% posted vaccine misinformation, and 76.9% propagated misinformation in more than one category, with 38.5% disseminating misinformation on five or more different social media platforms.

Implications

Potential Harms: The study implies widespread and potentially harmful misinformation related to COVID-19 by US physicians on social media, necessitating further research to assess the extent of harms associated with such propagation.
Need for Accountability: The propagation of misinformation by medical professionals underlines the urgent need for improved accountability mechanisms to curb the spread of false and misleading information, considering the varied specialties and regions of the contributing physicians.
Enhanced Research: There is a pressing need for more extensive research to understand the impact of physician-propagated misinformation on public health and to develop strategies to mitigate its harmful effects.

Source

Sule, S., DaCosta, M., Goff, S. L. (2023). Physician Propagation of COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Media. JAMA Network Open. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.28928

Citation

BibTeX citation:

@article{infoepi_lab2023,
  author = {InfoEpi Lab},
  publisher = {Information Epidemiology Lab},
  title = {What {Types} of {Covid-19} {Misinformation} {Did} {US}
    {Physicians} {Spread} and {Where?}},
  journal = {InfoEpi Lab},
  date = {2023-08-23},
  url = {https://infoepi.org/posts/2023/08-23-med-disinfo},
  langid = {en}
}

For attribution, please cite this work as:

InfoEpi Lab. 2023. “What Types of Covid-19 Misinformation Did US Physicians Spread and Where?” InfoEpi Lab, August. https://infoepi.org/posts/2023/08-23-med-disinfo.