How to Deal With Medical Misinformation as a Nurse

Medical misinformation is a frustrating reality for modern nurses, and it’s been around since the beginning of medicine. It can be hard to know how to handle misinformation when you see it in clinical practice, on social media, and amongst family and friends. How should nurses address fake health information, and what health resources can you trust as a clinician?

Health misinformation has existed in different forms throughout history, morphing and changing shape to reflect current fears and beliefs. The anti-vaccine movement, for example, began with the invention of the first vaccine against smallpox in 1801. Before the vaccine, smallpox was one of the deadliest diseases, killing one in three people it infected. Despite the devastation of the disease and the vaccine’s effectiveness, the public was skeptical.

Today, public health misinformation spreads more easily than it did in the 19th century — through social media posts, message boards, group chats, and more. People who don’t trust healthcare providers tend to be more prone to believing misinformation, so this can be a challenge for nurses.

Health Misinformation Statistics to Know as a Nurse

• Nearly everyone has encountered health misinformation. In a poll, 96% of U.S. adults said they’d heard at least 1 of 10 common health misinformation claims about COVID-19, vaccines, and reproductive health.
• A significant proportion of people believe false vaccine claims. About 28% of Americans incorrectly believe that COVID-19 vaccines have caused thousands of deaths. The number of people who know that claim is false dropped from 66% to 55%.
• Misinformation proliferates on social media. In one study of social media posts about COVID-19, nearly 47% were categorized as medical misinformation. Posts containing misinformation got active engagement and shares — on average, 11 forwards, 13 comments, and 189 likes per post — while accurate posts received less attention.
• Healthcare providers are seeing a rise in misinformation in clinical settings. A survey of U.S. physicians found that 86% reported encountering more misinformation among patients over the past few years than before. About 61% said patients were influenced by false or misleading information “a moderate amount” or “a great deal.”

How Does Misinformation Spread?

Misinformation may spread so easily because it’s particularly appealing to our brain wiring. Humans are naturally drawn to stories that confirm previous beliefs, are easy to remember, or repeat stories we’ve seen before. People are more likely to share misinformation that conforms to their values without verifying its accuracy.

Where do people tend to find medical misinformation? On social media, posts containing wrongful health information can spread faster and further than ever before. Social platform algorithms capitalize on cognitive biases, so that emotionally charged or inflammatory posts can go viral in a matter of hours. On some platforms, research shows that misinformation reaches more people than truth.

Large-scale health events, like the COVID-19 pandemic, tend to ramp up the spread of fake health information. Scientists have even termed these phenomena infodemics, or the proliferation of information alongside a massive health emergency. And infodemics come at a cost — during the pandemic, the United States FDA commissioner stated that “misinformation is now our leading cause of death.”

Once it’s out there, misinformation is difficult to correct. In 1998, a single fraudulent study attempted to link MMR vaccines to autism. Despite the article being retracted and discredited, one in four adults still believes that the MMR vaccine causes autism, and among parents who choose not to vaccinate their children, fear of autism is the most common reason.

Now that you know how misinformation spreads, you can prevent yourself from being part of it. If you come across a piece of medical information, confirm it with research before sharing it with others.

Dealing With Health Misinformation as a Nurse

Nurses play a critical role in guiding patients toward accurate health information, building trust, and fostering informed decision-making. How can you approach this problem to help your patients make better health choices?

Here are some tips for addressing misinformation:

• Listen first, then respond. Allow patients to explain their beliefs without judgment. This helps establish rapport and makes them more receptive to accurate information.
• Use empathetic, nonconfrontational language. Phrases like, “I understand why that might seem concerning. Let’s look at what the research shows,” are more effective than bluntly saying someone is wrong.
• Provide reliable resources. Offer evidence-based sources, such as CDC guidelines, the World Health Organization, or peer-reviewed studies. Printed handouts or trusted websites can reinforce your guidance.
• Correct misinformation gently and consistently. Focus on replacing the false information with accurate, actionable data, rather than just debunking myths.

Medical misinformation examples you may encounter as a nurse vary by setting and specialty, and may include the following:

• Pediatrics and family medicine nurses may hear false claims about vaccines causing autism or other chronic illnesses.
• Infectious disease nurses may face misleading information about COVID-19 treatments or preventive measures and misconceptions about antibiotics, like believing they treat viral infections.
• Oncology nurses might hear myths about alternative remedies being more effective than prescribed medications or chemotherapy.
• Nutrition nurses may encounter incorrect dietary advice for chronic conditions such as diabetes or hypertension.

Misinformation can be even more frustrating when it comes from colleagues. Nurses, despite their education and experience, aren’t immune to health misinformation. If you hear or notice a colleague spreading misinformation online or in person, you might try a similar approach to the one above for patients. If you’re concerned or feel you can’t address the issue yourself, speak to your unit manager.

Health Misinformation FAQ

How do you get accurate medical information?

Patients and providers can seek health information from organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), or professional groups like the American Nurses Association (ANA). Trusted healthcare systems, medical journals, and health departments also publish reliable information.

Misinformation vs. disinformation: What’s the difference?

Misinformation is inaccurate content spread without the intent to deceive (for example, a patient sharing an outdated home remedy they believe works). Disinformation is false information spread deliberately to mislead, often for financial or political gain (for example, a group creating fake studies to discredit vaccines).

Note that what starts as intentional disinformation can be spread as misinformation by people who mean well. It’s up to healthcare providers and public health efforts to confront fake health information and educate the public about evidence-based science.

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