Medical Students' Ability to Assess Health Information Accuracy

There is growing concern about the accuracy of health information shared on social media, particularly on the platform X (formerly known as Twitter). For medical students, the ability to critically evaluate this information is essential. This study outlines the development of a workshop designed to help undergraduate medical students assess the accuracy of health information on the X platform and analyze their reasoning. As part of a mandatory medical informatics course, third-year undergraduate medical students participated in a workshop developed by course faculty. Before the workshop, a form was created featuring 20 posts selected from the X platform: 10 posts contained accurate health information, while the other 10 presented misinformation. During the workshop, students were provided with a link to the form and asked to evaluate the accuracy of each post, explaining their reasoning in open-ended responses. A total of 153 registered students participated in the workshop (mean age: 21 years). Of these, 83 students (54%) reported having no prior exposure to content related to identifying misinformation on social media. Despite this, 93% of participants correctly identified all instances of misinformation, while 7% were unable to do so. Thematic analysis of students' reasoning for identifying misinformation revealed several key factors, including the presence of unverified accounts, unverified users (healthcare providers or organizations), lack of references or evidence, nonsensical information, and the use of inaccurate or vague terms. Incorporating structured training workshops and clear guidelines for evaluating health information on social media into the medical curriculum can better equip students to identify and combat misinformation. Given the increasing prevalence of misinformation and its impact, such initiatives are crucial for preparing future medical professionals to potentially deliver accurate and reliable medical information to their patients.