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DO explains how to address fake medical news

Patients are at increased risk of encountering fake medical news, says Joel Cooper, DO, but physician education can help.

Your patient is a toddler who’s due for routine vaccines. But her parents, alarmed about online articles claiming vaccines are linked with autism, express misgivings. You assure them that vaccines are safe, prevent serious diseases, and have been scientifically shown to have no association with autism. The parents are still hesitant. What do you do?

In a recent article, Joel Cooper, DO, a family physician in Peoria, Arizona, explores the potential consequences when patients encounter medical misinformation online, and discusses how physician education can help. The AOA encourages patients to consult only evidence-based online health information and to visit a physician if they are ill or injured to obtain a complete diagnosis. To learn more about how to address medical misinformation with patients, read Dr. Cooper’s complete article.

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