SHIELDING OURSELVES AGAINST MISINFORMATION

It’s important to stay protected, but we need to make sure we have the right information! For a long time now, we’ve been bombarded by awareness campaigns, mostly from government authorities, about the importance of preventing various harmful situations. In the healthcare field, preventive measures are meant as a front-line defense against illness by educating people and encouraging them to adopt healthy lifestyles. Even if a person does get sick, these measures can serve as a secondary defense by encouraging early detection so that treatments can reduce the duration or consequences of the illness. This can help prevent recurrences or disability, among other things. In principle, we can all understand the importance of prevention. But are we willing to put in the work? After all, we’re all responsible for ourselves and the decisions we make (or don’t). Those decisions are influenced by our own understanding of the risks involved and how we weigh them against the limitations that come with protective measures. So what should we base our decisions on? Preconceived notions? Impressions? Social media posts? We have to be careful and do our research to check the source and truthfulness of the messages we see and hear. Reading, understanding, and valuing scientific texts is essential. Especially since some people may abuse their titles and even outright lie in order to convince us to believe their ideas or buy their “miracle” products.

We need to put our trust in professionals when we have doubts so we can shield ourselves against misinformation.

Martine Rodrigue Executive Director

Association québécoise de défense des droits des personnes retraitées et préretraitées Lévis-Rive-Sud (AQDR)

Here are some sources that can help you separate myth from reality:

– ici.radio-canada.ca/decrypteurs – lepharmachien.com

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