Regional difference in misinformation experiences; OpenAI sued over medication advice; Tommy's reveal pregnancy information gap
Experiences of misinformation differ between regions
People in different parts of England have very different experiences of the health impacts of false or misleading information, known as misinformation. They also vary in their approaches to checking health claims, an analysis from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine suggests.
It found almost 1 in 3 people in the North East of England said they knew someone who had come to serious harm from a health decision based on misinformation. This compared to 1 in 6 in the South East and West Midlands. Examples of serious harms include contracting a preventable disease, delaying medical treatment, or suffering symptoms for longer than necessary.
People in Yorkshire & Humber were the least confident of any English region at judging if a health claim was accurate, with only just over 1 in 4 saying they were very or somewhat confident. Those in the South West were the most confident at judging the accuracy of health claims.
Read the full news story about the research here.
OpenAI sued over ChatGPT medication advice
The parents of a 31-year-old woman with epilepsy have alleged that ChatGPT advised her to stop taking prescribed anti-seizure medication, contributing to her death. OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman are facing a wrongful death lawsuit in San Francisco.
Findings reveal pregnancy information gap
Tommy’s has found that 4 in 10 women and birthing people felt they had not received enough information to keep themselves and their baby safe, or were unsure whether they had.
The charity has shared the results of its first National Pregnancy Health Information Survey to explore how health information can help make pregnancy safer and identify gaps in access or understanding. More than 8,400 women and birthing people took part. 7 in 10 respondents said they needed information most during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, when contact with healthcare professionals is generally less frequent than later on.
Read more about the research on the Tommy’s website.
People with MS ‘falling through clinical gaps’
Gavin Atkins, executive director of services and support at MS Society, has written a blog for HSJ arguing that people with MS are falling through the gaps. He says people with MS often lack support before and after diagnosis. Embedding charity referrals into clinical pathways could reduce anxiety and isolation.
Read the blog here (login needed).
Plans dropped to abolish Healthwatch England
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper has dropped plans to abolish Healthwatch England, the NHS’s independent patient champion, after criticism from MPs. It had been due to be axed as part of the government’s reorganisation of the health service in England, with its functions moving to integrated care boards and local councils. Healthwatch England and its 150 local branches will now be retained and strengthened, continuing to collect and analyse patient feedback on NHS services.
Read more on the Guardian website.
Webinar: How trusted information is created
Join Radar Healthcare’s Content Director Julie Smith and clinician and EIDO Library contributor Julie Godfrey, from Mid & South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, for a conversation about how trusted patient information is created.
The session will explore how clinical expertise, peer review and editorial standards come together to create information that patients can understand and clinicians can rely on. Sign up for this free 30-minute webinar on Thursday, 12 November, on the Radar Healthcare website.