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WHO/Europe explores collaborations to improve quality of health information online

The WHO Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Athens recently joined forces with YouTube Health to host a workshop in Berlin to enhance the quality of health information online and support Member States’ efforts in this area. This collaborative endeavour lays the groundwork to promote health literacy and make high-quality health information universally accessible.

“We are very much looking forward to working together for a world where people can access the health information they need online without having to guess its accuracy,” noted Dr Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, Director of WHO/Europe’s Division of Country Health Policies and Systems, at the workshop.

The role of digital platforms in health

The COVID-19 pandemic brought into the spotlight the prominent role of digital platforms in disseminating health-related information and the importance of reliable information, while also exposing the potential perils of misinformation and disinformation. Data indicates that, in the WHO European Region, a large share of consultations now take place online, as people’s initial approach is to search for symptoms and medical advice online. Health-related searches make up 7% of daily online searches, with approximately 4 billion results related to COVID-19.

In 2021, YouTube had over 110 billion views of health condition videos globally and is working on raising high-quality health content to make it easier for people to identify credible information that can help answer their questions. Commenting on the platform’s impact in the online space, Dr Nira Goren, Clinical Lead at YouTube Health, said, “People use platforms like YouTube to seek answers to questions, such as how do I live with breast cancer or how do I take care of myself.” An increasing number of individuals are also turning to online platforms to share personal stories, alleviate acute distress, and build a community to help decrease feelings of isolation.

However, online health information that is inaccurate or misleading can pose a significant risk to one’s health. A recent WHO review showed that infodemics and misinformation negatively affect people’s health behaviours. The distorted understanding of health hazards, such as smoking, alcohol intake, unhealthy eating habits, or physical inactivity, can result in various life-altering and potentially fatal noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as cancer or diabetes.

Empowering health through high-quality health information online

High-quality health information can empower individuals to take control of their health, make informed decisions about their treatment options, and improve their overall well-being and quality of life. With more and more people relying on the internet for medical advice, it is essential that the information available is reliable, accurate, easy to understand, and up-to-date. Collaboration with health care stakeholders in Member States across the Region is needed to ensure this. It also requires fostering inclusive partnerships that bring together patients, health care professionals, ministries, nongovernmental organizations, and major social media platforms.

“Social media platforms are crucial tools to improve and disseminate high-quality health information online and we should work on that together, involving everyone in this process. Our primary focus should be to actively listen to community concerns, promote understanding of risk and health expert advice, engage and empower communities to take positive action, and support health professionals and

Moreover, fostering trust in authoritative online health information sources at the population level entails working with academia and other partners to create further scientific evidence on the impact of misinformation on quality of care, acting as a lighthouse in consolidating the creation of scientific evidence.

“Empowering communities with education is essential to helping people live healthier lives. YouTube Health is delighted to interact with WHO and authoritative health sources across Europe to increase access to evidence-based, equitable and engaging health information,” noted Dr Garth Graham, Director and Global Head, Healthcare and Public Health, YouTube.

Πηγή: who.int

Depression Is Often Overlooked in Cancer Patients

When Carly Flumer was a teenager, she was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. She saw a psychiatrist and a therapist regularly, and got medication and counseling. She managed her mental health well for over a decade. But in January 2017, she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of thyroid cancer that had spread to her lymph nodes by the time it was diagnosed.

That’s when things got complicated again.

Flumer, then 27, underwent surgery to remove her thyroid. She also received intensive radiation. To all observers, she got a clean bill of health — at least with regard to her cancer. But, she says, her mental health had suffered.

“People absolutely do not understand the panic a cancer diagnosis can cause,” Flumer says. “My depression and anxiety got worse when I got diagnosed. I also have had more suicidal thoughts because of the cancer,” she says. “The side effects of treatment are real. So is the stress of waiting to see if the cancer comes back again.”

Flumer, who is still receiving medication and counseling for her anxiety and depression, is not alone in struggling with mental health issues brought on or worsened by cancer. Research has found a higher risk of depression and suicidal thoughts among cancer patients.

The Evidence for the Mental Health Toll Wrought by Cancer

There’s no shortage of evidence that cancer takes a toll on mental health. A study published in March 2022 in Nature Medicine examined patients with 26 different cancers and concluded that depression was the most common mental illness in people diagnosed with cancer.

People who were treated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery were more likely to experience mental health issues, according to the study, and a link between depression and the immune system’s inflammatory reaction to tumors was found, indicating that the body’s fight against tumors can come with a mental health cost. Researchers for this study also found an increased risk of self-harm in this population, which was highest in the first year following a mental illness diagnosis.

Another study, also published in March 2022 in Nature Medicine, found that patients with cancer had an 85 percent higher death rate from suicide than the general population. The suicide death rate was higher in patients with difficult-to-treat cancers, such as liver, stomach, head and neck, and pancreas, according to the study.

Mental Health Screening and Follow-Up

In 2014, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)recommended that all cancer patients and survivors be screened for symptoms of depression and anxiety throughout their care with a short screening questionnaire, such as the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).

Getting any traction on this has been difficult, says Patricia Ganz, MD, a medical oncologist and the director of cancer preventionand control research at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California in Los Angeles. “It is still not being done routinely, and, if it is done, it is often done early, but not subsequent to treatment,” she says.

Dr. Ganz warns that it’s not enough to screen cancer patients for depression if doctors and facilities aren’t equipped to follow up with appropriate care. And not all are. In a study published in March 2022 in JAMA Network Open, researchers found out that of patients screened, 77 percent met criteria for follow-up care, but only 32 percent received care within three months of screening.

Read more :

https://www.everydayhealth.com/cancer/depression-is-often-overlooked-in-cancer-patients/?utm_source=salesforce-marketing-cloud&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=May+23%2c+2023+Cancer+Today+eNewsletter&utm_term=Read+More+in+Everyday+Health