In an article for HIStalk, Denise Basow, MD, CEO of the Clinical Effectiveness business of Wolters Kluwer, Health, called the Covid-19 infodemic a “primary concern for global health,” noting that the proliferation of misinformation about coronavirus, its causes, and its treatments was not only affecting patients, but providers and other healthcare professionals as well.
Dr. Basow cited the WHO’s definition of an infodemic as: “too much information, including false or misleading information in digital and physical environments during a disease outbreak, which can cause confusion and risk-taking behaviors that can harm health; it can also lead to mistrust in health authorities, undermining the public health response.”
That is exactly what we are seeing, Dr. Basow explained, noting that the number of studies published on Covid-19 has exploded from 50 in January 2020 to an estimated 400,000 today. Much of this increase in information includes “gray literature” that must be sorted from those evidence-based studies that can contribute meaningfully to best practices of care, she said.