First do no harm (online). When healthcare practitioners become information polluters

• In Event: Information pollution

Abstract

The evolution of cyberspace and emerging technologies has profoundly transformed health communication, creating new avenues for the dissemination of misleading and potentially harmful information. While members of the healthcare community have been encouraged to establish an online presence as a proactive way to counter mis- and dis-information, such as getting involved in digital health literacy programs, some healthcare practitioners are involved in the creation and propagation of health-related polluted information - a phenomenon that has severe implications in terms of healthcare practitioners' ethical and professional responsibility, and public trust. By relying on framing analysis, this contribution evidences how current regulatory practices in both Italy and the UK are starting only recently to acknowledge the issue of healthcare practitioners involved in the creation and propagation of health-related polluted information, and are still doing so in a partial and ineffective way. Possible management and mitigation strategies are discussed.

Authors

• Anita Lavorgna, University of Bologna

• Heather Myles, University of the West of Scotland