Analyzing Medical Personnel’s Perceptions of Online Health Rumors

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze medical personnel’s perceptions of online health rumors as a function of two factors: rumor type, and the presence of counterrumors. The two types of rumors include dread rumors that warn of dangerous consequences, and wish rumors that inform about potential benefits. Counter-rumors are messages that refute rumors. A total of 60 participants (20 doctors + 20 nurses + 20 medical students) were recruited to take part in an experiment. They were exposed to cancer-related dread and wish rumors—some accompanied with counter-rumors while others without counter-rumors. The participants’ perceptions that were examined include intention to trust, and intention to share. These were measured using a questionnaire. A 2 (rumor type: dread, wish) x 2 (presence of counter-rumors: present, absent) factorial analysis of variance was conducted for data analysis. The results indicate that dread rumors were trusted and shared more compared with wish rumors. Besides, counter-rumors were effective in reducing intention to trust and share rumors, especially for dread rumors. Nonetheless, the medically trained participants were generally reluctant to view online health rumors favorably.