Health literacy is important, but so is avoiding medical misinformation. Health misinformation is rampant, and people engage in it often to sell you something and prey on your desperation to stay healthy. Here’s how to spot medical misinformation.
Follow the Money
A lot of people will try to sell you something with the promise that it will solve a health issue or health concern. Pay attention to who will profit if you buy whatever it is that they are trying to sell you. Are they advertising their own supplement? Are they a member of the board of the company that sells supplements? Or are they a content creator paid to promote a health device?
Check the Recommendations
Anything that you see, you should check it against the current recommendations of the governing medical bodies. If someone is recommending something that goes against decades of established research, and their research isn’t well supported, follow the money. Also, while a diversity of information is important, and you can look at research from other countries, you should check to see if it has been tried here. There are a lot of great doctors around the world but not every treatment is approved here and that can provide insurance problems.
I have more to say so stay tuned for the next part.
Written by Brigid Coffey
