Misinformation Becomes an Epidemic Crisis – InsuranceNewsNet

Health literacy is a new term coined to address an old problem: what people need to know to stay healthy, prevent disease, and navigate their healthcare system to ensure their best outcomes.

Traditionally, this knowledge was seen as a personal responsibility, passed on within families and neighbors and promoted by health care providers. More recently, the support network has expanded to schools, places of worship, workplaces, and disease-specific support groups, making it a company-wide enterprise.

However, health literacy is directly linked to social determinants. Indeed, poverty, lack of education and exposure to environmental and mental conditions beyond our control often shape our understanding and our choices.

With the evolving nature of medical science and the complicated maze of our health care system, health literacy is already a challenge for most of us. Now add more problems: food companies, drug companies and private health insurance companies continue to market unhealthy or fabricated products to consumers, all playing Wobegon Lake make it clear that they are all handsome, strong and above average because they would advertise anything to maximize business profits.

Additionally, medical misinformation has reached an epidemic crisis with conspiracy theories in social media. All of these factors complicate our health literacy.

Measure 111 now enshrines the right to health care in from oregon Constitution. We may not be able to cure all of the negative social determinants of disease, but establishing a single-payer system could improve our health literacy by mitigating the harmful effects of commercialization and politicization of our health care. health.

Chinh LeMD

Corvallis