Trump has questioned his health regarding social media coverage: “It’s fake news.”
President Donald Trump responded to social media reports Tuesday that questioned his health after two days without a press conference.
FOX -FOX 9
On September 27, President Donald Trump shared a video that was clearly generated by AI that promoted the medical conspiracy theory, “Medbed.”
The video, which was subsequently removed from his Truth Social Account, resembles the Fox News segment of the show hosted by the president’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, but it did not air on the network.
“Every American will receive their own Medbed card right away,” said Trump’s AI rendering.
But just like with mock news reports, “Medbeds” doesn’t actually exist.
The “Medbed” plot has roots in the Canon movement, falsely claiming that all medical beds exist and are protected from the public.
This moment reminds us that medical misinformation can ramp out on social media. It is also important to pay attention to content generated by AI, even if the post comes from a well-known public figure or a seemingly verified source. It is true that recent innovations in health technology have encouraged the movement to health and longevity, but “Medbeds” is not one of these new treatments.
According to a 2024 poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation, most Americans encounter incorrect health information online, and many are unsure if it is accurate.
Experts explained that people should learn to recognize the difference between accidental misinformation and intentional misinformation.
Medical misinformation shared online has real consequences
Almost 70% of doctors who voted for thought that patient confidence had declined between 2020 and 2022, but only 21% of Americans said the same thing, according to a 2023 poll.
“False information is not a perspective, it’s not a real harm,” Brian Castrucci, president of the DeBeaumont Foundation, a public health charity that commissioned the poll, previously told USA Today. “It hurts doctors. It hurts medical practices. And it hurts the American people.”
For example, during the pandemic, some people with autoimmune diseases were unable to take their prescribed hydroxychloroquine because they were misunderstood to believe that they could help many others fight Covid-19.
While the poll focuses on Covid, Castrucci said it is far beyond the pandemic.
Most doctors and the public get their information online, but are looking for somewhat different sources. The majority of doctors said they trust medical and scientific journals, internet searches and colleagues, while other adults primarily trust internet searches. These common internet searches can raise not only trusted and verified sources, but also a series of posts and websites.
Castrucci said he has type 2 diabetes and watches ads on social media for “diabetic treatment.” There’s nothing though.
Social media said, “It made it easier to spread medical misinformation to millions in just one click, not from town to town.
Don’t know how to convey medical facts from fiction? Experts offer some tips
By promoting fear and false hope, misinformation causes mental and physical fatigue, said David Nobilo Ortiz, unit head of data digital health literacy at the World Health Organization.
It directly affects government trust, government response and public health messages, which disappoints people and puts their health at risk, he previously told USA Today.
Disinformation is also a lie that people can fight back, philosopher and author Lee McIntyre argued.
“I want people to train themselves,” McIntyre suggested asking where the information in question is coming from, what is at stake, who is behind it, and what benefits it can help make that information public.
If several reliable sources, such as the CDC, agree with prominent hospitals and university experts and websites, the information is likely to be accurate, Dr. Richard Baron, president and CEO of American Internal Medicine, told USA Today.
“If you look at information that is converging from a reliable source, it’s reliable information,” he added.
And while social media can provide you with insights into your own health, Dr. Franziska Haydanek, an online health educator at Obgyn, advises you that you need to discuss new information with your own doctor. This may apply if you meet the diagnostic criteria. ”
Contributed by Karen Weintraub
