Countering the Unverified Health Related Information

Abstract

The article is intended to offer the strategy to tackle the wrong and unverified information related to health issues. It is based on the data of a survey in East Java, the province with the second largest population in Indonesia, and the second largest economic in the country. The data shows that people in East Java admitted that they were expose to many incorrect and unverified health information, through various channels, such as personal chatting applications, mainstream/conventional media, and social media. The survey revealed that people responded differently to unverified health information. Some found clarity, but others felt anxious. The fact that people think they can get clarity though the information from social media and the Internet, are not sufficiently verified is upsetting. Trusting untested or clinically unproven health information can be harmful and dangerous. A way to counter the propagation of untested health information or unverified information sources is to use the same information channels to distribute the guidance to inform people how to identify the wrong and untested health information. And, by the same measure it could also empowering people to fight against such false information.