Addressing Health-Related Misinformation and Disinformation
Health-related misinformation and disinformation represent significant and growing threats to public health emergency preparedness and response (PHEPR) efforts. Misleading or false information has spread during past public health emergencies, and the same or similar rumors likely will circulate during future emergencies. Misinformation often promotes narratives that can hinder effective responses to public health events and erode public trust in health authorities.
New research efforts and innovations are needed to anticipate and proactively address misinformation and disinformation during public health events, establish practical communication solutions, build trust in public health, and ultimately advance the science of risk communication and infodemiology.
The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security works to address health-related misinformation and disinformation by conducting research, identifying best practices, educating public health practitioners and policymakers, and furthering policy solutions to the problem.
WATCH THIS SPACE đŸ“¢ In July 2024, the Center for Health Security will launch a website with resources to help practitioners build trust in public health and proactively address health-related misinformation during public health emergencies. Please visit this page again soon for more information. Until then, see our Practical playbook for addressing health misinformation.
The project team is currently working on an evidence-informed project to help build trust in public health in an environment of misinformation, particularly during public health emergencies. This project aims to:
- Understand the types of health-related rumors and misinformation that have come up during past public health emergencies.
- Identify the tools, interventions, and approaches people have used to manage and counter misinformation.
- Learn from the experiences of public health practitioners and risk communication experts.
- Establish an evidence-based framework for predicting future misinformation, managing or countering misinformation, and building trust in public health.
- Create a practitioner-validated checklist to help public health communicators strengthen trust in PHEPR and communicate within an environment of misinformation.
- Develop a website and online curriculum with tools, resources, and guidance to help practitioners build trust in public health and proactively address misinformation during public health emergencies.
Past work conducted on misinformation and disinformation includes:
- Development of the Practical playbook for addressing health misinformation, which takes a hands-on approach to help public health practitioners, medical professionals, and health communicators recognize and respond to health-related rumors and misinformation.
- A pilot analysis exploring specific misinformation interventions to help policymakers and practitioners understand critical components of infodemic interventions.
- An effort to understand and compare Russian and US news media coverage of Ukrainian biological laboratories.
- Investigation of health-related misinformation in the context of public health emergencies by analyzing tweets about Ebola.
- Analysis of tweets about masks and vaccines in the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- A proposal for developing a national strategy to address misinformation and disinformation surrounding COVID-19 and future emergencies.
- Economic analysis to outline the costs of misinformation related to non-vaccination.
Project Team
(listed in alphabetical order)
Lead: Tara Kirk Sell, PhD, MA
Center team: Vanessa Grégoire, MSc; Aishwarya Nagar, MPH; Hannah Ottman-Feeney; Christina Potter, MSPH; Alex Zhu, MSPH
Students: Amelia Jamison, MPH, MA; Emily O’Donnell-Pazderka, MA; Jessica Malaty Rivera, MS; Annie Sundelson, MSc
Past contributors: Richard Bruns, PhD; Arielle D’Souza; Courtney De Balmann; Erin Fink, MS; Johnross Ford, MS, MHS; Divya Hosangadi, MSPH; Noelle Huhn, MSPH; Sarah-Louise Pasquino; Maximillian Schwartz; Ellie Smith, MSPH; Marc Trotochaud, MSPH; Ruth Grace Wong
Project supported by:
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Johns Hopkins University Catalyst Award
- National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM)
- Open Philanthropy (past funding support)
Areas of Focus:
- Medical and Public Health Preparedness and Response
- Emerging Infectious Diseases and Epidemics
- Deliberate Biological Threats
Resources and Publications
Reports
- Potter C, Nagar A, Fink E, et al. Checklist to Build Trust, Improve Public Health Communication, and Anticipate Misinformation During Public Health Emergencies. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; 2024.
- Nagar A, Grégoire V, Sundelson A, O’Donnell-Pazderka E, Jamison AM, Sell TK. Practical playbook for addressing health misinformation. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; 2024.
- Report for NASEM: Sundelson A, Huhn N, Jamison A, Pasquino SL, Sell TK. Infodemic Management Approaches Leading up to, During, and Following the COVID-19 Pandemic. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; 2023.
- Sell TK, Hosangadi D, Smith E, et al. National Priorities to Combat Misinformation and Disinformation for COVID-19 and Future Public Health Threats: A Call for a National Strategy. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; 2021.
- Bruns R, Hosangadi D, Trotochaud M, Sell TK. COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation and Disinformation Costs an Estimated $50 to $300 Million Each Day. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; 2021.
Peer-reviewed Publication
- Sundelson AE, Jamison AM, Huhn N, et al. Fighting the infodemic: the 4 i Framework for Advancing Communication and Trust. BMC Public Health. August 30, 2023. doi:10.1186/s12889-023-16612-9
- Sundelson AE, Trotochaud M, Huhn N, Sell TK. Russian and U.S. News Media Coverage of Ukrainian Biological Laboratories, February – March 2022. J Strateg Secur. 2023;16(4):57-73. doi:10.5038/1944-0472.16.4.2148
- Trotochaud M, Smith E, Hosangadi D, Sell TK. Analyzing social media messages about masks and vaccines: a case study on misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Disaster Med and Pub Health Prep. January 10, 2023. doi:10.1017/dmp.2023.16
- Sell TK, Hosangadi D, Trotochaud M. Misinformation and the US Ebola communication crisis: analyzing the veracity and content of social media messages related to a fear-inducing infectious disease outbreak. BMC Public Health. May 7, 2020. doi:10.1186/s12889-020-08697-3