During the pandemic the spread of misinformation has had such dire consequences that the WHO and UN have termed it an “infodemic”. Misinformation has spread about things such as the effectiveness of masks, the way the virus is spread, the efficacy of vaccines, and the excess mortality rate.
Research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) makes the case for nurses to be on the frontline of combating the infodemic, much as they have been on the frontline of combating the pandemic.
Dear Pandemic
The paper chronicles a social media campaign set up by the school, called Dear Pandemic, in March 2020. The campaign aimed to provide a curated flow of timely and comprehensive information about the pandemic, with the information delivered in a question-and-answer format in order to be engaging yet informative.
The campaign proved popular, with over 100,000 followers across its various accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and the authors believe it has had an important impact on public health insight around the world.
“Dear Pandemic has demonstrated that consistently publishing high-quality content outside a peer-reviewed venue can result in incredible impact–personal behavior change, informed nodes of trust to further disseminate factual information, and resources for community providers navigating constantly evolving knowledge,” the authors say.
The paper highlights how campaigns, such as Dear Pandemic, are a great example of low-barrier information exchanges with the public, while also providing a useful channel through which nurses can engage with the topic and stay informed of breaking news.
When nurses engaged in the Dear Pandemic campaign, it managed to amplify the impact of the efforts to better inform and educate the public about the pandemic, while also motivating both individual and systemic action.
“Now is the time for nurses to flex their communication and trust muscles in both traditional and innovative ways to advance the health of the public through trusted, actionable messaging in addition to exceptional patient care,” they conclude.
