{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,20]],"date-time":"2026-07-20T06:03:44Z","timestamp":1784527424151,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":20,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,20]],"date-time":"2026-07-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784505600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100011033","name":"Agencia Estatal de Investigaci\u00f3n","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100011033","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Health misinformation has become a persistent challenge in contemporary clinical practice, shaping patient beliefs, weakening trust in healthcare professionals, and contributing to the refusal of evidence-based treatments. In the context of the growing influence of digital platforms, frontline health professionals increasingly face consultations in which misinformation must be addressed alongside clinical care.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A qualitative descriptive design based on semi-structured interviews was administered through an online open-ended questionnaire. Healthcare professionals working in Spain participated in the study. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns related to health misinformation, patient trust, treatment refusal, and professional communication strategies.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The analysis revealed five themes: (1) information sources and misinformation exposure, (2) erosion of trust and clinical friction, (3) patient refusal of evidence-based treatment, (4) the healthcare professional as a debunker, and (5) the need for media literacy and professional training. Participants consistently reported that patients rely heavily on social media, search engines, and non-expert sources, often arriving to consultations with pre-formed beliefs that contradict medical advice. They described misinformation as a source of distrust, emotional exhaustion, and poorer communication in the therapeutic relationship.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The findings suggest that misinformation is not merely an online phenomenon but a concrete clinical problem that directly affects trust, communication, and treatment adherence. Healthcare professionals perceive themselves as having an increasingly important educational role, yet many lack formal preparation to respond effectively to misinformation in practice. These results support the integration of health communication and media literacy into professional training.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2026.1842755","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,20]],"date-time":"2026-07-20T05:35:31Z","timestamp":1784525731000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The hidden cost of health misinformation: distrust, treatment refusal, and the burden on healthcare professionals"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Daniel","family":"Catalan-Matamoros","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"MediaLab, Department of Communication and Media Studies","place":["Madrid University Carlos III, Madrid, Spain"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mariola","family":"Moreno","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"MediaLab, Department of Communication and Media Studies","place":["Madrid University Carlos III, Madrid, Spain"]},{"name":"Institute for Culture and Society, University of Navarra","place":["Pamplona, Spain"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Carmen","family":"Pe\u00f1afiel-Saiz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Journalism, University of the Basque Country","place":["Bilbao, Spain"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"89","DOI":"10.20318\/recs.2025.9315","article-title":"Identidad digital y comunicaci\u00f3n de contenidos de influencers del bienestar emocional hispanoamericanos [Digital identity and content communication of well-being influencers from Hispanic America]","volume":"16","author":"Baquerizo-Neira","year":"2025","journal-title":"Rev Esp Comun Salud."},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e21820","DOI":"10.2196\/21820","article-title":"How to fight an infodemic: the four pillars of infodemic management","volume":"22","author":"Eysenbach","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res."},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"106","DOI":"10.20318\/recs.2025.9139","article-title":"Implications of the COVID-19 infodemic for scientific communication and diffusion: an integrative review","volume":"16","author":"Fag\u00e1","year":"2025"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"337","DOI":"10.1038\/s41562-021-01056-1","article-title":"Measuring the impact of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation on vaccination intent in the UK and USA","volume":"5","author":"Loomba","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nat Hum Behav."},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1599","DOI":"10.1080\/21645515.2018.1459252","article-title":"Measuring trust in vaccination: a systematic review","volume":"14","author":"Larson","year":"2018","journal-title":"Hum Vaccin Immunother."},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"22","DOI":"10.20318\/recs.2025.9143","article-title":"Influencers, marcas y divulgaci\u00f3n de salud sexual: El caso de Durex Espa\u00f1a en TikTok [Influencers, brands and sexual health promotion: the case of Durex Spain on TikTok]","volume":"16","author":"Zome\u00f1o-Jim\u00e9nez","year":"2025","journal-title":"Rev Esp Comun Salud."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S288","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.2020.305729","article-title":"Roles for health care professionals in addressing patient-held misinformation beyond fact-checking","volume":"110","author":"Southwell","year":"2020","journal-title":"Am J Public Health."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"18","DOI":"10.20318\/recs.2025.8896","article-title":"Desaf\u00edos de la Atenci\u00f3n Primaria y retos de la comunicaci\u00f3n en salud [Challenges of primary healthcare and stakes of health communication]","volume":"1","author":"Pe\u00f1afiel-Saiz","year":"2025","journal-title":"Rev Esp Comun Salud Suppl."},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"105478","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijmedinf.2024.105478","article-title":"Have we found a solution for health misinformation? 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