Misinformation During COVID: How Should Nurse Practitioners Respond?

Area of Science:

• Health communication
• Medical misinformation
• Nursing practice

Background:

• Health misinformation has plagued healthcare for centuries.
• Social media accelerates the spread of health misinformation.
• The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the need for healthcare professionals to address misinformation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the critical need for nurse practitioners (NPs) to understand and combat health misinformation.
• To explore strategies for NPs to address misinformation, particularly concerning vaccines and on social media.
• To emphasize the role of the patient-provider relationship in mitigating misinformation.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on health misinformation and social media.
• Analysis of calls from professional medical organizations for social media regulation.
• Exploration of evidence-based strategies for addressing misinformation.

Main Results:

• Social media platforms have amplified health misinformation.
• NPs are essential in combating misinformation at the point of care.
• The patient-provider relationship is a powerful tool for misinformation intervention.

Conclusions:

• NPs require enhanced knowledge and skills to address health misinformation.
• Interventions targeting misinformation should leverage the trusted patient-provider relationship.
• Proactive strategies are needed to counter antivaccine and other health misinformation.