Connections Lead to Education

How else can we reach our patients? Using well-crafted messaging to connect with our patients. In the emergency department, we can present information in a clear and compelling manner, even using graphics or illustrations rather than text for educational purposes, the way that many people use such modalities online or in traditional lectures. The format of the presentation matters. Studies have shown that graphics can actually reduce misperceptions for issues as complicated as global warming.⁵ We might reach a few more “visual learners” by taking this approach.

Finally, remember that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. There’s lots of great content out there waiting to be used. For instance, an online Field Guide to COVID-19 was crafted at the onset of the pandemic, collecting information pearls from the online EngagED platform. The “wisdom of crowds” is not perfect, but the more participation there is from frontline emergency physicians, the better the circulating information is apt to be. 

Traditional science has come under attack, and it’s up to us to respond. As we weather a dark winter, there is light at the end of the tunnel, but it depends on our ability as a specialty to fight against medical disinformation. It’s as big a part of our job as any other.

Dr. Blutinger is an instructor in emergency medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York City.

References 

1. Salvi C, Iannello P, Cancer A, et al. Going viral: how fear, socio-cognitive polarization and problem-solving influence fake news detection and proliferation during COVID-19 pandemic. Front Commun. 2021;5:127.
2. Tools that fight disinformation online. RAND Corporation website. Accessed Feb. 10, 2021.
3. Jaiswal J, LoSchiavo C, Perlman DC. Disinformation, misinformation and inequality-driven mistrust in the time of COVID-19: lessons unlearned from AIDS denialism. AIDS Behav. 2020;24(10):2776-2780. 
4. Bogart LM, Wagner G, Galvan FH, et al. Conspiracy beliefs about HIV are related to antiretroviral treatment nonadherence among African American men with HIV. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2010;53(5):648-655. 
5. Nyhan B, Reifler J. The role of information deficits and identity threat in the prevalence of misperceptions. J Elect Public Opin Parties. 2019;29(2):222-244. 
6. Monostra M. Health care professionals battle misinformation ‘infodemic’ on internet, social media. Healio website. Accessed Feb. 10, 2021. 
7. Merchant RM, South EC, Lurie N. Public health messaging in an era of social media. JAMA. 2021;325(3):223-224. 
8. Henderson E. Social media appeals from COVID-19 frontliners have more impact on general audience. News Medical website. Accessed Feb. 25, 2021.
9. Hick N, Hogan B, Fenton R, et al. ‘Around 30%’ of eligible NY medical workers refusing COVID-19 vaccine: official. New York Post website. Accessed Feb. 10, 2021.