Scottish Health Information Integrity Strategy

Principles for Action

As Scotland develops a safe, ethical and coherent approach to false health information, we will not lose track of the following principles.

First Do No Harm

Any response to false health information must fundamentally be safe. However, even well-evidenced approaches may have unintended consequences on the ground. Success depends on cultural, social and personal contexts. Our emphasis will remain on trust-building, addressing concerns early and supporting access to reliable, quality health information. We will pilot evidence-backed approaches carefully, distilling lessons learned and increasing Scotland’s understanding on where and when these techniques should and should not be used.

Ethical and Transparent

It is vitally important that efforts to address the health harms of false information do not further damage public trust. Transparency is a core component of public trust in our institutions.^[37] From the methods used to understand the online landscape to the decisions made about which false health narratives require a direct response, all such decisions must have a clear and accountable rationale guided by an overarching ethical approach.

Learning from Others

The challenges of false health information are not confined by borders; we will continue to learn from approaches and innovations adopted in other parts of the UK and internationally.

Co-produced

Any approach to false health information must be inclusive of those it seeks to support. For example, tools intended to support young people are likely to fail if young people themselves are not included in the development process.^[38] We will take a co-production approach wherever possible, with a focus on building trust and ownership.

Asset-based

A new service or institution is not required to address the harms of false health information. From community relationships to national communications, many of the tools needed are already at our disposal.

Quality Improvement

As Scotland’s approach to false health information develops, continuous improvement approaches will be needed to identify and share lessons learned.