• To better understand how young people use the internet and social media to source health information
• To read about particular areas of misinformation about eczema on the internet and social media
• To develop strategies for countering online misinformation about skin conditions
The traditional patient-clinician relationship is changing as young people and their families often now turn to the internet and social media for health information, treatment advice and support. Much of that content, however, is unregulated, unverified and inaccurate, which leads to the dissemination of health misinformation. Healthcare professionals working with young people with eczema and their families need to understand why young people turn to social media for health information, identify trends in online misinformation about eczema, and provide alternative, trustworthy sources of information. This article discusses particular areas of online misinformation about eczema as well as dermatology content on specific social media platforms. It also reports the views of young people on the youth panel of the charity Eczema Outreach Support about different social media platforms.
Nursing Children and Young People. doi: 10.7748/ncyp.2024.e1517
Peer reviewThis article has been subject to open peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software
Correspondence Conflict of interestNone declared
Lawton S, Runcie C, Murdoch C (2024) Understanding and supporting young people exposed to online misinformation about eczema. Nursing Children and Young People. doi: 10.7748/ncyp.2024.e1517
Published online: 05 August 2024
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