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Cited by 1,170Misinformation and Its ImpactsHealth Literacy and Information AccessibilitySocial Media in Health Education

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Public Health and Online Misinformation: Challenges and Recommendations

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Swire-Thompson, Briony, Lazer, David·2020·Annual Review of Public Health
DOI 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040119-094127
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Abstract

The internet has become a popular resource to learn about health and to investigate one's own health condition. However, given the large amount of inaccurate information online, people can easily become misinformed. Individuals have always obtained information from outside the formal health care system, so how has the internet changed people's engagement with health information? This review explores how individuals interact with health misinformation online, whether it be through search, user-generated content, or mobile apps. We discuss whether personal access to information is helping or hindering health outcomes and how the perceived trustworthiness of the institutions communicating health has changed over time. To conclude, we propose several constructive strategies for improving the online information ecosystem. Misinformation concerning health has particularly severe consequences with regard to people's quality of life and even their risk of mortality; therefore, understanding it within today's modern context is an extremely important task.

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Metadata

Authors
Swire-Thompson, B., & Lazer, D.
Affiliations
  • Network Science Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA;,
  • Northeastern University (US)
ORCID
Lazer, David
Venue
Annual Review of Public Health
Publisher
Annual Reviews
Published
2020-04-02
Volume
41
Issue
1
Pages
433-451
ISSN
  • 0163-7525 (ISSN-L)
  • 1545-2093
DOI
10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040119-094127
OpenAlex
W2997474044
Cited by
1,170
References
20
Citations by year
2026: 182 · 2025: 237 · 2024: 284 · 2023: 149 · 2022: 160 · 2021: 118 · 2020: 39
FWCI
20.34
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Annual Review of Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Misinformation and Its Impacts
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Literacy and Information Accessibility
  • Social Sciences › Health › Social Media in Health Education
Keywords
health misinformation, online health information, user-generated content, mobile health apps, trust in health institutions, health outcomes, mortality risk
MeSH terms
Data Accuracy, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Communication, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Public Health, Internet, Information Dissemination, Information Literacy

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Public Health and Online Misinformation: Challenges and Recommendations. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040119-094127
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Swire-Thompson, B., & Lazer, D. (2020). Public Health and Online Misinformation: Challenges and Recommendations. Annual Review of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040119-094127