Leveraging the Ability of the Online Health Information Seekers to Find Credible Online Sources

Hassan, Radwa; Sabry, Hend Aly

doi:10.21608/ejcm.2024.249600.1276

Leveraging the Ability of the Online Health Information Seekers to Find Credible Online Sources

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Radwa Hassan ¹
Hend Aly Sabry ²

¹ Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine , Cairo University

² Public Health Department/ Faculty of medicine- Cairo University

10.21608/ejcm.2024.249600.1276

Abstract

Background: The spread of misinformation about different health issues, has become a growing threat nowadays. The process of identifying credible information became a real problem of high urgency. During the current pandemic of COVID-19, misinformation is not the only challenge, the infodemic is another serious consequence of growing digitization.

The current study was designed to evaluate the effect of implementing a digital intervention training module, to educate participants about choosing credible online health information, according to the quality standards and protocols.

Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study with pre/post-assessment comparisons. It took place between October 2019 and May 2020 with the recruitment of a group of 480 medical students, from the 1st, the 2nd, and the 3rd academic years, at the Faculty of Medicine. They were assigned to an intervention and a control group. The intervention group attended the digital health module, which was conducted online with both its theoretical and practical components. Participants responded to the pre- and post-online questionnaire through google forms, in addition to a post-intervention assessment.

Results: Results showed post-assessment significant improvements in all items related to seeking online health information and the ability to check the credibility of such information, among the intervention group in comparison to the control group with p-value<0.05.

Conclusion: The infodemic caused by COVID- 19 pandemic, with all its associated psychological pressure and panic due to misinformation, can be combated by improving the skills and abilities of online health information seekers to check the credibility of such information.

Keywords