UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

The year 2023 is almost over, and we are all rushing to do our new year resolutions. Mine is quite simple: Strive to fight medical disinformation, which has killed many, not only during the Covid-19 pandemic but before and after that. Thousands have died following bad advice, taking useless, even harmful potions and drugs that are not meant for a particular disease, or not getting vaccinated due to belief in anti-vaxxers and falling victim to vaccine-preventable infections. My column, Quackery in Medicine (Sept. 19, 2023) highlighted the ill-effects of medical quackery and it is sad that these doctors who have taken the Hippocratic oath, are themselves doing harm to the people they swore to serve (Please take note, Professional Regulations Commission). 

Equally at fault are media who rush to interview these quacks and spread their fake news and views to the public. But perhaps, we should pause and ponder why they don’t exert any effort at finding those who are really knowledgeable about a particular field of medicine. Is it perhaps because they don’t know who to approach? Or that they are pressed for time to make it to the six o’clock newscast? That those who are not real experts in the topic at hand are always ready to step into the limelight for their self-interest?

Social media is the most dangerous arena for disinformation. Unfortunately, we are too receptive to views and ideas that are in line with our thinking, thus, making it easier to believe fake news or views. Another is the tendency to go to the Internet to seek out medical advice also known as “ask Dr. Google”. 

A cartoon currently circulating on social media (Facebook-Medical Jokes, Nov. 21, 2021) is how people approach different problems. For legal, they consult a lawyer; for building a house, an architect; for car problems, a mechanic. But when it comes to health problems, they resort to the Internet first, then consult neighbors or relatives, then try miraculous drinks or ointments, go to television or newspapers, self-medicate, and as a last resort, consult a doctor. By this time, the illness may have worsened to the point where radical measures which are prohibitively expensive are needed. Then people will whine that medical treatment is too expensive. What could have been easily treatable cheaply will have ballooned into a life-threatening crisis due to delayed treatment and/or harm caused by quack medicines prescribed on the Internet.

How to combat this infodemic? There is plenty of advice from medical professional organizations available online but most people would rather not read these for fear they could be too complex or not easily understandable. Thus, a small group of doctors from various fields of medicine are banding together to make a difference in our country, which is also beset by much medical disinformation, especially vaccine hesitancy.

First order of the day is to set up a speakers bureau of real experts in their particular field of medicine who can be called on by media people to speak authoritatively on the current subject matter. Second will be to provide guidance to the media and the public on identifying the real experts on a subject. For example, when faced with a statement from social media, one can verify this on www.snopes.com. We will also advocate for the passage of laws to prevent, control and combat medical misinformation/disinformation in both traditional and social media. Setting up a website/blog for fact-checking will be helpful in countering fake health news in a timely manner.

For this to be effective, we will need to have medical experts be media-savvy and confident in going for interviews. Some are media-shy due to fears of being bashed or threatened by rumor-mongers. Others are basically just not comfortable appearing on TV or speaking on radio. They will need training on how to face and manage media. 

We are therefore inviting the real experts in their fields of specialization who have the training, education and experience to show. These experts are readily identifiable by going to the medical societies where they have a roster of members and their credentials. They must also be of good character and integrity. Offhand, we will be rejecting epistemic trespassers (experts who pass judgement on questions in a field where they lack expertise) and ultracrepidarians (persons who criticize, judge, and give advise outside their area of expertise).

All those who think they qualify, please step forward and do your part to halt the spread of disinformation. We need all hands on deck to prevent more deaths from these purveyors of medical fake news. Invitations to follow. Impostors need not apply (you know who you are!)