Scottish Health Information Integrity Strategy

An Approach Across Multiple Levels

As the effects of false information on our health have become more widely appreciated, the amount of interest and research in this area has hugely increased. International evidence-based guidance has been produced by the WHO,^[34] Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security^[35] and the UK Government^[36] which set out in detail how to safely assess and address false health information without infringing on individual freedom of expression. It is from this base that much of this strategy has been developed.

There is no single answer or approach. The complex threat of false information to our health requires a complex response; from how we as individuals create, consume and share information to the way health institutions communicate with the public. At its simplest however, the overall approach can be understood from four levels; the information world we inhabit, our needs as individuals, the communities we live in and the institutions which protect and improve our health. To be effective, a strategic approach must work across these levels, joining up national efforts with local support.

Institutional/Structural

• Resources & standards for journalists and fact checkers
• Managing academic/scientific literature
• Resources for infodemic researchers/research
• Resources for infodemic managers
• Social media regulation
• Policy/legislation

Interpersonal/Community

• Resources for Public Health communicators
• Community engagement

Individual

• Enhancing information literacy
• Prebunking and inoculation

Information

• Amplifying factual information
• Filling information voids
• Debunking false information
• Information tracking
• Verification, credibility, and detection