Health Information Quality

Low-quality health information poses a significant challenge to health communication practice. Therefore, a better understanding of the quality of online information and its consequences for health is needed to inform approaches for effectively communicating evidence-based cancer information to the public.

Several key research questions include:

What is the prevalence of low-quality cancer-related information on social media platforms?
What are the real-world consequences of exposure to online health information?
How do different populations access and respond to online health information?
How do individuals process and assess information quality and source credibility when interacting with social media content? What factors are most salient in determining information trustworthiness?
What are the most effective ways to meet people's cancer information needs and foster health and science literacy?

Funding Opportunities

Title	Announcement #	Expiration Date	Contact
Innovative Approaches to Studying Cancer Communication in the New Information Ecosystem	PA-25-294 (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) PA-25-295 (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)	September 08, 2025	Kelly Blake 240-281-5934 kelly.blake@nih.gov

AJPH special issue about social media health information

NCI partnered with the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) to publish a special issue highlighting cutting-edge research that addresses critical issues surrounding health information on social media. Published on October 1, 2020, the special issue showcases diverse approaches to a rapidly expanding research area and addresses topics such as unproven cancer treatments and rumors about emerging infectious diseases.