2024-01-15 19:18:00
Experts recommend being very skeptical of health trends on social networks. (Illustrative image Infobae)
Dr. Trisha Pasricha, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and columnist for the Washington Post’s Ask a Doctor section, issued a warning regarding health trends on social media and online medical misinformation, saying she has seen many people get caught up in fads that make doctors and experts cringe.
The specialist recommends approaching with skepticism the scientific legitimacy of this content, which is often due to the rise of fads promoted by influential people with some type of experience in care such as medical, biology or nutrition.
Those who take advantage of the credibility that a professional normally generates in these areas to make something dubious seem logical. And a very applied methodology is to confuse and convince through data and concepts that seem rooted in science, adding buzzwords like “microbiome” or “inflammation” and referring to medical studies.
Therefore, Dr Pasricha encourages caution and critical analysis of information before adopting practices or products promoted online, especially since it can be very difficult to know whether these claims are legitimate or not.
Health trends are often driven by people with some kind of healthcare experience and can make something dubious seem logical. (Illustrative image Infobae)
The expert also advises questioning whether promotional data seems too good to be true.
In addition, it is recommended to confirm that the main medical institutions support the studies proposed in these contents and if there is information available on the subject on sites from reliable organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If you are unable to answer these questions, due to the complexity of evaluating the solidity of studies cited by trend promoters, a task that often takes years of medical experience; It is vital to try to establish a dialogue with health professionals to verify the veracity of the statements found before trying new habits or consuming products that are highly popular on digital platforms.
Let us remember that many users have had their physical integrity seriously compromised by following false treatments that they saw on their social networks.
Therefore, for those seeking to orient themselves within the enormous world of health information on the Internet, it is essential to contrast what is found and not believe that all the information found online is true.
YouTube will remove medical content that contradicts the WHO. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic)
YouTube has made some significant changes to its policies, including adjusting its guidelines to effectively address medical misinformation on the platform, with the goal of ensuring that online content does not pose a risk to public health.
And to prevent its distribution, three categories were introduced to simplify its elimination:
– Misinformation regarding prevention: Content that contradicts the guidelines of health authorities regarding the prevention and transmission of specific diseases will be removed.
-Misinformation regarding treatment: Information that contradicts health authority guidelines regarding treatments for specific medical conditions will be removed, including the promotion of specific harmful substances or practices, such as supporting the use of cesium chloride as a treatment for cancer.
– Misinformation with denial: Content that denies the existence of specific medical conditions will be removed, such as information that denies that people died from COVID-19.
YouTube takes action once morest videos that promote harmful or ineffective cancer treatments. (Illustrative image Infobae)
And in particular, emphasis will be placed on monitoring false information regarding cancer, one of the leading causes of death globally.
And in fact, the platform will eliminate content that suggests miracle cures or ineffective alternatives, also discouraging those that might divert patients from seeking specialized medical care.
Clear examples of this initiative are actions once morest claims that garlic or vitamin C can cure cancer, with the latter compound being wrongly presented as superior to established treatments such as radiotherapy.
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