86% of docs say medical misinformation has become more insidious

Healthcare's medical misinformation problem is getting worse, with doctors saying in a recent survey that the incidence of medical mis- and disinformation has been increasing over the past five years.

The Physicians Foundation's survey of around 1,000 doctors in the United States parses through the issue of misinformation -- inadvertently false or inaccurate information -- and disinformation -- false or inaccurate information that's intended to mislead.

Overall, 61% of physicians said their patients were influenced by misinformation and/or disinformation in at least a moderate amount in the past year, the survey showed.

This was more pressing in rural areas, where 38% of physicians said their patients were influenced by false or inaccurate information a great deal. That's compared to about a fifth of suburban physicians and a quarter of urban physicians saying the same.

What's more, the healthcare misinformation/disinformation landscape is different than it's been before, the survey continued. A sizeable 86% of physicians said the incidence of medical mis- and disinformation has increased in the past five years; 50% said it's been a significant increase.

And that's affecting patient care.

According to 57% of physician respondents, medical misinformation and/or disinformation can seriously hamper their ability to deliver quality patient care. Indeed, separate reports have shown that exposure to medical misinformation can eat away at patient health literacy, getting in the way of meaningful patient-provider communication and shared decision-making.

"As misinformation and disinformation continue to rise, it becomes increasingly challenging for physicians to provide effective, trusted care," Gary Price, M.D., president of The Physicians Foundation, said in a press release. "It's incumbent on physicians to have open conversations with their patients -- not only to understand the health inaccuracies they encounter, but also to foster a relationship built on trust and support."

Healthcare providers mostly believe they're up to the task. Only 10% said they aren't prepared at all to engage with patients who are skeptical about modern medicine. Meanwhile, 50% said they are highly confident they can identify and dispel medical mis- or disinformation, while 47% said they were somewhat or fairly confident they could do that.

But doubt creeps in when patients leave the clinic and are left to their own devices.

For example, 40% of all physicians said they're not at all confident that their patients know how to access reliable and evidence-based information online. For rural physicians, that figure was 54%, compared to 37% of suburban physicians and 41% of urban physicians.

Dispelling medical misinformation must first begin by tamping down on the spread of disinformation and then working to correct misconceptions and skepticisms about evidence-based health information. This will require a multipronged approach involving not just physicians, but other members of the clinical care team, policymakers and public health officials.

"As the healthcare system continues to evolve, decisive action is essential to protect patient outcomes, reduce avoidable burdens on physicians and ensure that accurate, trusted medical information guides care decisions," Price concluded.

Sara Heath has reported news related to patient engagement and health equity since 2015.