Although not a new phenomenon, health misinformation became even more widespread during the COVID-19 pandemic. A new poll from KFF finds that many Americans still encounter misinformation often and don't know whether to believe it.Just over 2,000 adults took part in the survey, which was conducted between May 23 and June 12. Participants were asked about 10 false health claims related to COVID-19, reproductive health and gun violence.Related video above: Can doctors spread misinformation?At least 4 in 10 people said they had heard each statement, the report found.When presented with the statement "More people have died from the COVID-19 vaccines than have died from the COVID-19 virus," 47% labeled it as definitely false. But about 20% of respondents said it was definitely or probably true.As for reproductive health, only 30% of respondents said the statement "Sex education that includes information about contraception and birth control increases the likelihood that teens will be sexually active," is definitely false.Looking at gun violence, only 22% said that the statement "People who have firearms at home are less likely to be killed by a gun than people who do not have a firearm" is definitely false.Relatively few people said that any of the false claims were "definitely true," the study authors found. However, at the same time, roughly half to three-quarters of the participants weren't exactly certain whether each of the claims was true, describing them as only "probably true" or "probably false."The report also asked respondents where they heard or read misinformation on health Topics and whom they trusted the most when that information was disseminated.Eighty-one percent of respondents said they would put at least a little trust in health information reported by local TV news stations, followed by national network news, such as ABC, CBS or NBC, at 72%; local newspapers at 71%; and online news aggregators such as Apple, Yahoo or Google News at 64%.People who relied on Newsmax, OANN, Fox News or social media for their health information were more likely to have heard at least one of the five false COVID-19 claims in the survey.About a quarter of the participants (24%) said they used social media at least weekly to "find health information or advice." This group included mostly Hispanic and Black people, as well as people in low-income households.Of the people who used the social news aggregation and discussion site Reddit every week, 1 in 6 say they would have a lot of trust in the health information they found there. Weekly TikTok, YouTube and Twitter users also expressed a lot of trust in the health information they see on those platforms."Adults who frequently use social media to find health information and advice are more likely to believe that certain false statements about COVID-19 and reproductive health are definitely or probably true," the report authors wrote.Of all the information sources asked about in the survey, many people said they trust their doctors the most, with 93% of respondents saying they trust them for "at least a fair amount" of health information and recommendations.U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has called health misinformation "a serious threat to public health" in a 22-page advisory that urges individuals to take responsibility to limit the spread of misinformation."Health misinformation is a serious threat to public health. It can cause confusion, sow mistrust, harm people's health, and undermine public health efforts. Limiting the spread of health misinformation is a moral and civic imperative that will require a whole-of-society effort," he said.Misinformation can take the form of things like comical memes circulating online, misleading graphics or cherry-picked statistics.In 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a Community Toolkit on health misinformation that provides guidance for people who see or hear health-related content that they aren't sure about.The agency advises checking with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or your local public health department to see whether there might be any truth to the claim. You can also ask your health care provider if they have more information.Search online to see if the claim has been Verified by a credible source such as government agencies or peer-reviewed medical journals.If the information is on a website, check the "About Us" page to learn more about whether it might be credible,At the end of the day, the HHS says, if you aren't sure about the content you see online, do not share it with others.
Although not a new phenomenon, health misinformation became even more widespread during the COVID-19 pandemic. A new poll from KFF finds that many Americans still encounter misinformation often and don't know whether to believe it.
Just over 2,000 adults took part in the survey, which was conducted between May 23 and June 12. Participants were asked about 10 false health claims related to COVID-19, reproductive health and gun violence.
Related video above: Can doctors spread misinformation?
At least 4 in 10 people said they had heard each statement, the report found.
When presented with the statement "More people have died from the COVID-19 vaccines than have died from the COVID-19 virus," 47% labeled it as definitely false. But about 20% of respondents said it was definitely or probably true.
As for reproductive health, only 30% of respondents said the statement "Sex education that includes information about contraception and birth control increases the likelihood that teens will be sexually active," is definitely false.
Looking at gun violence, only 22% said that the statement "People who have firearms at home are less likely to be killed by a gun than people who do not have a firearm" is definitely false.
Relatively few people said that any of the false claims were "definitely true," the study authors found. However, at the same time, roughly half to three-quarters of the participants weren't exactly certain whether each of the claims was true, describing them as only "probably true" or "probably false."
The report also asked respondents where they heard or read misinformation on health Topics and whom they trusted the most when that information was disseminated.
Eighty-one percent of respondents said they would put at least a little trust in health information reported by local TV news stations, followed by national network news, such as ABC, CBS or NBC, at 72%; local newspapers at 71%; and online news aggregators such as Apple, Yahoo or Google News at 64%.
People who relied on Newsmax, OANN, Fox News or social media for their health information were more likely to have heard at least one of the five false COVID-19 claims in the survey.
About a quarter of the participants (24%) said they used social media at least weekly to "find health information or advice." This group included mostly Hispanic and Black people, as well as people in low-income households.
Of the people who used the social news aggregation and discussion site Reddit every week, 1 in 6 say they would have a lot of trust in the health information they found there. Weekly TikTok, YouTube and Twitter users also expressed a lot of trust in the health information they see on those platforms.
"Adults who frequently use social media to find health information and advice are more likely to believe that certain false statements about COVID-19 and reproductive health are definitely or probably true," the report authors wrote.
Of all the information sources asked about in the survey, many people said they trust their doctors the most, with 93% of respondents saying they trust them for "at least a fair amount" of health information and recommendations.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has called health misinformation "a serious threat to public health" in a 22-page advisory that urges individuals to take responsibility to limit the spread of misinformation.
"Health misinformation is a serious threat to public health. It can cause confusion, sow mistrust, harm people's health, and undermine public health efforts. Limiting the spread of health misinformation is a moral and civic imperative that will require a whole-of-society effort," he said.
Misinformation can take the form of things like comical memes circulating online, misleading graphics or cherry-picked statistics.
In 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a Community Toolkit on health misinformation that provides guidance for people who see or hear health-related content that they aren't sure about.
The agency advises checking with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or your local public health department to see whether there might be any truth to the claim. You can also ask your health care provider if they have more information.
Search online to see if the claim has been Verified by a credible source such as government agencies or peer-reviewed medical journals.
If the information is on a website, check the "About Us" page to learn more about whether it might be credible,
At the end of the day, the HHS says, if you aren't sure about the content you see online, do not share it with others.
Medical certified have raised serious concerns with regard to the legality of the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) President and its Legal Officer in the context of where they enjoy high posts simultaneously against the Establishments Code.
According to informed sources, Prof. Vajira H.W. Dissanayake who is the incumbent SLMC President is also currently serving as the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Colombo and the Registrar of the Ceylon Medical College Council (CMCC).
Several council members told Daily Mirror that according to the Establishments Code, Dissanayake cannot hold three positions simultaneously and thus, urged authorities to take necessary actions on the matter.
Besides, a top official from the University of Colombo on terms of anonymity told Daily Mirror that Prof. Dissanayake had not sought permission from the top management from the Colombo University about his position at the SLMC.
It is also learnt that the SLMC President is enjoying allowances from all positions he holds at present.
Sources further referred to two instances where an SLMC member resigned from all posts from SLMC as she was appointed as the Vice Chancellor of the Kelaniya University while a former Vice Chancellor of the Wayamba University resigned from the post when the official was offered a Secretary post.
Meanwhile, council members raised concerns regarding the current legal officer at SLMC who was earlier accused of simultaneously working as the Legal Secretary to the Board of Directors of the Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital without prior approval or consent of the SLMC for a period of one year from 02/06/2018 to 02/06/2019. According to sources, during this period, she was drawing salaries and allowances from both institutions while hiding the fact of working in multiple places.
Besides, an inquiry initiated in 2020 against the legal officer has been stopped by the present president whose legal positions are now been challenged in the Supreme Court.
As such, the council members question the retention of the particular legal officer, who is reportedly to be upgraded as the Chief Legal Officer. (Sheain Fernandopulle)
No country manufactures a category of medicinal drugs termed "inferior drugs," and the Ministry of Health strictly imports drugs that are duly registered in their respective countries and authorized by the Drug Regulatory Authority, a medical specialist said.
Director of the Sri Jayawardenepura General Hospital, specialist Dr. Ratnasiri Hevage said that complications or allergies arising from Western medicine is not uncommon and he reassured that Sri Lanka has well-established effective methods for many years to manage such incidents.
He said this while participating in the '1O1 Katha' programme produced by the President’s Media Division (PMD).
Speaking during the programme, Dr. Hevage stressed the significance of patient cooperation and support in reducing drug-related complications.
"In cases of drug allergies, patients can report incidents promptly through the Pharmacovigilance page on the Drug Regulatory Authority's website, allowing for immediate action," he said.
“We have guidelines that include how to deal with a drug allergy. In addition to the management in the concerned hospital, immediate reporting of such incidents through the Pharmacovigilance page on the website of the Drug Regulatory Authority, an online system is already available. (https://www.nmra.gov.lk/index.php?option=com_contact&view=reporting&Itemid=191&lang=en)
Accordingly, the Drug Regulatory Authority has the ability to act immediately.”
Dr. Ratnasiri Hevage underscored the importance of open communication between patients and doctors. Disclosing a history of allergies and the medications being taken is crucial for proper medical care. Failure to provide accurate information may lead to serious risks, as seen in an unfortunate example shared by the specialist.
“I recently learned that my friend's father had died. Despite the fact that he needs medication on a regular basis for a medical issue, he has not applied for it. He didn't mention anything when he went to the doctor unwell. He has informed the doctor that he is taking the prescribed medication in accordance with the dosage. As a result, the doctor increases the dose. He died as a result of an overdose of the medication. My friend explained that it was not the hospital's or the doctor's fault, but rather that his father did not take the drug properly and did not provide the correct information to the doctor. This is but one example. As a result, always provide accurate information to the doctor. Medical advice should also be followed in the same manner. If you are instructed not to get out of bed, then you should not”.
He emphasized the need for patients to adhere strictly to medical advice, particularly with regard to prescribed dosages. Misleading information or non-compliance with treatment can have severe consequences.
Dr. Hevage dispelled fears surrounding drug quality, asserting that no inferior drugs are imported, and he assured the public that the Ministry of Health imports medicines only from registered sources, even during emergency purchases. It should be mentioned that medicines are not produced separately for the government and the private sector.
He cautioned against creating unnecessary fear around drugs and medical care, urging everyone to work together in protecting the integrity of the country's outstanding health system.
"The Sri Jayawardenepura Hospital, for example, can be described as a hospital with a high degree of management in all of these areas. Recently, our team successfully handled a severe allergy case following established guidelines, demonstrating our commitment to efficient management. It is essential to avoid spreading unnecessary fear regarding medications, as incidents like these have been reported not only this year but occur regularly. We must not exploit such occurrences to deter patients from seeking medical treatment or utilizing essential medications and hospital services. The focus should always be on ensuring patient safety and promoting confidence in our healthcare system.
Highlighting Sri Lanka's reputation alongside Costa Rica as countries with exemplary health systems, he urged collective efforts from the government, media, healthcare workers, patients, and the public to uphold and preserve the free health sector. He implored health administrators not to compromise the sector's excellence for short-term gains and to uphold their responsible role in maintaining its high standards.
Cautioning against using isolated incidents to deter patients from seeking medical care, Dr. Hevage encouraged collective efforts to protect the nation's free health sector. Health administrators play a pivotal role in upholding the sector's excellence and reputation, discouraging any actions that may compromise its long-term stability, he said.
Social risk factors such as financial instability and housing insecurity are increasingly recognized as influencing health. But unlike diagnosis codes, prescription information, lab or other test reports, social risk factors do not adhere to standardized, controlled terminology in a patient's electronic medical record, making this information difficult to extract from the clinical notes where they typically are found.
A new study has found that a natural language processing (NLP) system developed by Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health informaticians showed excellent performance when ported to a new health system and tested on more than six million clinical notes of patients seen in Florida. Performance was evaluated for generalizability and portability, defined as ease and accuracy when deploying the software in a new environment and of updating its use to meet the needs of new data.
"Social factors have a great impact on our health. It's not just the medical care that we receive, but it's also the places where we live, the places where we work and our access to food and transportation and other resources that have a major influence on our health," said Chris Harle, PhD, the Regenstrief and IU Fairbanks School faculty member who is senior author on the study. "It's important for the clinicians and health systems providing medical care to know about people's social risk factors so when prescribing medications, ordering tests or planning to perform a procedure, they can better treat the whole person -- perhaps with lower cost drugs or alternative sources for tests -- and can also link them to services that help address their needs for a safe place to live and healthy food to eat."
In this study, the researchers' NLP rule-based model searched through text that physicians or other clinicians had written in the clinical notes of patients' electronic health records, looking for key words or phrases that were likely to indicate difficulty with housing (for example: lack of permanent address) or financial needs (for example: inability to afford follow-up care) of patients at a healthcare system in a new and quite different geographic area. In spite of challenges (for example: name of a homeless shelter without indication of the facility's function or regional variation or local nuances in language), the research scientists Verified that the NLP models, with relatively simple modifications, could deliver highly accurate performance as compared to the gold standard of human review.
"Is a patient diagnosed with diabetes? It's relatively easy to find that information in an electronic health record because the same words and codes are more likely to be used in health systems in central Indiana as are used in Florida or elsewhere in the U.S. But social risk factors don't have nearly as established and widely used words, phrases or codes to identify them. Therefore, it's harder to search through and determine a patient has a financial need than it is to say a patient has diabetes," said Dr. Harle. "Our work is important for patients because ultimately their health is related to a variety of factors in their life, including social factors. For example, are clinicians incorporating in their decision making a patient's ability to recover from a surgery as it's going to be different if they have stable housing versus unstable housing?
"The more that we can disseminate and adapt natural language processing and other artificial intelligence methods that fully describe a patient to supply clinicians a full 360 understanding of patients' needs, the better. If we can extract social information more efficiently, it's less costly. Then we can start to take what we'd call a population health perspective. So, if a health system can efficiently identify the patients who have housing instability -- the population of patients who have this need -- then the healthcare system may be able to employ a more proactive population-based intervention to serve that whole group of people, connecting them, for example, to the housing services in the community or financial resources that might be available."
Dr. Harle, an information scientist and health services researcher who focuses on the design, adoption, use and value of health information systems, notes that this study was a team effort across multiple institutions of professionals who work in the clinical arena (including individuals who study how patients access and use care), public health, population health and healthcare administration as well as technically knowledgeable and skilled systems specialists. "Bringing people together who have that diversity of understanding leads to pragmatically useful studies like this one," he said.
To keep your body healthy, your diet needs to include whole, hearty foods packed with vitamins and minerals. This isn't just true of your system as a whole, either; individual components function their best when they have the resources they need. Case in point: your eyes.
If you can work more of the best foods for eye health onto your plate, you supply your peepers what they need. In other words, if you want to increase your odds of seeing clearly for life, you should choose foods that are good for eye health. So what are they? Let's find out.
Whether you've got a family history of vision problems, or you're trying to fight eye strain in your day-to-day, here are 12 foods to boost eye health.
A study promoted by the American Optometric Association found that indole-3-carbinol, a compound found in broccoli, can help to remove toxins from your retina. This reduces your risk for age-related macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of vision loss in older adults. Broccoli also contains lutein and zeaxanthin which are also protective for your eyes. Although, note that this study claims that you would have to eat an unreasonable amount of broccoli to really protect against AMD.
Keeping your eyes healthy means keeping them sufficiently hydrated. Some of the best foods for healthy eyes can go a long way. Salmon, for example, contains omega-3 fatty acids. This helps to reduce your risk for dry eye, an uncomfortable condition that gets more common as you age.
If you're a woman, it's more important to eat salmon and other omega-3-containing foods that are good for eye health. People assigned female at birth are twice as likely to develop dry eyes.
You've probably heard it before: Carrots are one of the best foods for eye health. For starters, they contain tons of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that your body uses to make vitamin A. Vitamin A helps you see at night and defends against myopia (i.e., nearsightedness). If you've been looking for a way to avoid the need for vision correction -- or to keep your current prescription for your contacts or eyeglasses as long as possible -- grab Bugs Bunny's go-to snack.
Plus, carrots also contain lutein, another antioxidant. This one can help you lower your risk for AMD.
Yes, you should protect your eyes from the sun. But don't let the name fool you; there's no protection needed here. Sunflower seeds are one of the best foods for vision. They have lots of vitamin E, an antioxidant protects our eyes from oxidative stress. Vitamin E also helps fight against the sun's damaging UV rays, reducing your risk of cataracts.
An important thing to note here: While your body can synthesize some vitamins, you need to get vitamin E from food sources or supplements.
Looking for another way to fight against potential sun damage? Turn to kiwi. This fuzzy fruit makes our list of the best foods for healthy eyes because it contains lutein, the AMD-fighting antioxidant I mentioned before, plus zeaxanthin, which helps your eyes filter light.
While a lot of the other foods that are good for eye health might have come as no surprise, this one could feel like a bit of a curveball. Still, it's worth getting shucking. Not only do oysters contain omega-3 fatty acids, but they're also high in zinc. This gives you another potent nutrient if you're trying to fight AMD.
Take a page from Popeye's book and eat your spinach. As a great source of all-around nutrients, this leafy green is also one of the best foods for healthy eyes. It's got loads of lutein, which I've already noted is a key component of ocular health. And spinach has zeaxanthin, too.
To help your body best absorb these antioxidants, you need to eat them with fat. A little spinach salad drizzled with olive oil -- which also has omega-9s and a small amount of omega-3s -- gives you an easy way to work the top foods for vision into any meal.
Eggs serve up just about everything your eyes need, from lutein and zeaxanthin to zinc and vitamin A. In fact, a study from 2019 concluded that eating a moderate amount of eggs (about two to four eggs per week) on a regular basis significantly reduces your risk of developing AMD. If you want to reach for foods that are good for eye health, eggs can make it over(ly) easy.
Almonds and other nuts contain high levels of vitamin E, the antioxidant that fights AMD and cataracts. Again, your body can't make this vitamin on its own.
Plus, this is one of the top foods to boost eye health if you're trying to avoid kitchen prep. If you don't want to fire up the stovetop or grab a cutting board, you can snag a handful of almonds and go.
Dairy has both vitamin A and zinc, two nutrients I've already pointed out as key for ocular health. But if you really want to choose the best foods for vision, go for the cultured variety when making your dairy choices. Why? Because yogurt contains probiotics. And studies increasingly show that these good bacteria might help with everything from allergic conjunctivitis to dry eye.
I've already talked about beta-carotene, its role in vitamin A and why vitamin A matters for your eyes. But what I didn't tell you is that getting foods with beta-carotene is generally pretty easy for one big reason: that antioxidant makes them orange. So you better believe that oranges have a good amount of this nutrient, earning them their spot on this list of the best foods to boost vision.
Plus, as you probably already know, oranges have lots of vitamin C. And that can help your body fight AMD, cataracts and vision loss in general.
Oranges get a lot of hype for their vitamin C content, but strawberries actually contain more. And since vitamin C delivers the one-two-three punch of preventing overall vision loss, cataracts and AMD, these berries deserve to round out our roundup of the best foods for eye health.
To keep your body healthy, your diet needs to include whole, hearty foods packed with vitamins and minerals. This isn't just true of your system as a whole, either; individual components function their best when they have the resources they need. Case in point: your eyes.
If you can work more of the best foods for eye health onto your plate, you supply your peepers what they need. In other words, if you want to increase your odds of seeing clearly for life, you should choose foods that are good for eye health. So what are they? Let's find out.
Whether you've got a family history of vision problems, or you're trying to fight eye strain in your day-to-day, here are 12 foods to boost eye health.
A study promoted by the American Optometric Association found that indole-3-carbinol, a compound found in broccoli, can help to remove toxins from your retina. This reduces your risk for age-related macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of vision loss in older adults. Broccoli also contains lutein and zeaxanthin which are also protective for your eyes. Although, note that this study claims that you would have to eat an unreasonable amount of broccoli to really protect against AMD.
Keeping your eyes healthy means keeping them sufficiently hydrated. Some of the best foods for healthy eyes can go a long way. Salmon, for example, contains omega-3 fatty acids. This helps to reduce your risk for dry eye, an uncomfortable condition that gets more common as you age.
If you're a woman, it's more important to eat salmon and other omega-3-containing foods that are good for eye health. People assigned female at birth are twice as likely to develop dry eyes.
You've probably heard it before: Carrots are one of the best foods for eye health. For starters, they contain tons of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that your body uses to make vitamin A. Vitamin A helps you see at night and defends against myopia (i.e., nearsightedness). If you've been looking for a way to avoid the need for vision correction -- or to keep your current prescription for your contacts or eyeglasses as long as possible -- grab Bugs Bunny's go-to snack.
Plus, carrots also contain lutein, another antioxidant. This one can help you lower your risk for AMD.
Yes, you should protect your eyes from the sun. But don't let the name fool you; there's no protection needed here. Sunflower seeds are one of the best foods for vision. They have lots of vitamin E, an antioxidant protects our eyes from oxidative stress. Vitamin E also helps fight against the sun's damaging UV rays, reducing your risk of cataracts.
An important thing to note here: While your body can synthesize some vitamins, you need to get vitamin E from food sources or supplements.
Looking for another way to fight against potential sun damage? Turn to kiwi. This fuzzy fruit makes our list of the best foods for healthy eyes because it contains lutein, the AMD-fighting antioxidant I mentioned before, plus zeaxanthin, which helps your eyes filter light.
While a lot of the other foods that are good for eye health might have come as no surprise, this one could feel like a bit of a curveball. Still, it's worth getting shucking. Not only do oysters contain omega-3 fatty acids, but they're also high in zinc. This gives you another potent nutrient if you're trying to fight AMD.
Take a page from Popeye's book and eat your spinach. As a great source of all-around nutrients, this leafy green is also one of the best foods for healthy eyes. It's got loads of lutein, which I've already noted is a key component of ocular health. And spinach has zeaxanthin, too.
To help your body best absorb these antioxidants, you need to eat them with fat. A little spinach salad drizzled with olive oil -- which also has omega-9s and a small amount of omega-3s -- gives you an easy way to work the top foods for vision into any meal.
Eggs serve up just about everything your eyes need, from lutein and zeaxanthin to zinc and vitamin A. In fact, a study from 2019 concluded that eating a moderate amount of eggs (about two to four eggs per week) on a regular basis significantly reduces your risk of developing AMD. If you want to reach for foods that are good for eye health, eggs can make it over(ly) easy.
Almonds and other nuts contain high levels of vitamin E, the antioxidant that fights AMD and cataracts. Again, your body can't make this vitamin on its own.
Plus, this is one of the top foods to boost eye health if you're trying to avoid kitchen prep. If you don't want to fire up the stovetop or grab a cutting board, you can snag a handful of almonds and go.
Dairy has both vitamin A and zinc, two nutrients I've already pointed out as key for ocular health. But if you really want to choose the best foods for vision, go for the cultured variety when making your dairy choices. Why? Because yogurt contains probiotics. And studies increasingly show that these good bacteria might help with everything from allergic conjunctivitis to dry eye.
I've already talked about beta-carotene, its role in vitamin A and why vitamin A matters for your eyes. But what I didn't tell you is that getting foods with beta-carotene is generally pretty easy for one big reason: that antioxidant makes them orange. So you better believe that oranges have a good amount of this nutrient, earning them their spot on this list of the best foods to boost vision.
Plus, as you probably already know, oranges have lots of vitamin C. And that can help your body fight AMD, cataracts and vision loss in general.
Oranges get a lot of hype for their vitamin C content, but strawberries actually contain more. And since vitamin C delivers the one-two-three punch of preventing overall vision loss, cataracts and AMD, these berries deserve to round out our roundup of the best foods for eye health.
