To explore and describe the impact of health misinformation on daily clinical practice, specifically evaluating how exposure to false health content affects the therapeutic relationship and influences refusal of evidence-based treatments.
Approach:
Study Design: Qualitative descriptive design based on semi-structured interviews administered through an online open-ended questionnaire.
Participants: Healthcare professionals working in Spain participated in the study.
Data Analysis: Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns.
Key Findings:
Patients rely heavily on social media, search engines, and non-expert sources for health information.
Misinformation contributes to erosion of trust and clinical friction between patients and healthcare professionals.
Patients often refuse evidence-based treatments due to pre-formed beliefs influenced by misinformation.
Healthcare professionals feel the need to act as debunkers of misinformation.
There is a need for enhanced media literacy and professional training among healthcare providers.
Interpretation:
Limitations:
The study focuses on healthcare professionals in Spain, which may limit generalizability.
Qualitative nature may introduce subjective bias in responses.
