Attracting over 800 registrations across three sessions, the event featured speakers from healthcare research, patient and public representatives, and the media. Chaired by HRB Chief Executive Dr Mairead O’Driscoll, the conference was opened by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, who underlined the vital role of research in supporting well-informed healthcare decisions – more important than ever during a global pandemic.

A ‘public health crisis’? The dangerous spread of online disinformation 

A burning issue on the agenda was the enormous challenge posed by the spread of health mis- and disinformation online. Mark Little, CEO of media tech company Kinzen, took participants on a journey through the history of disinformation in social media, culminating in the ‘infodemic’ that has accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic. Describing the current ‘second wave’ of disinformation as a “public health crisis”, he showed how online ‘superspreading events’ can quickly send falsehoods viral.

While we may view ‘fake news’ as a 21st century problem, Professor Declan Devane’s talk on thinking critically about health claims reminded participants that misinformation is nothing new. Quoting Jonathan Swift’s observation that “falsehood flies and truth comes limping after it”, he compared today’s social media myths to the old wives’ tales of yore, while underlining the very real damage that can occur when flawed information feeds into individuals’ healthcare choices. 

Two speakers gave an insight into the latest academic research on how we interact with disinformation. Dr Gillian Murphy tackled questions such as what makes us more susceptible to believing misleading content – highlighting intriguing phenomena like ‘truthiness’ and the creation of false memories. Zooming in on healthcare, Dr Eileen Culloty drew attention to how media can undermine public trust in research by distorting scientific findings for the sake of a good headline. And she explored why people share disinformation, with the surprising observation that many believe they are performing a civic duty by warning others of perceived dangers.

When research may be part of the problem

What part does the research community play in fostering – or undermining – public trust in healthcare information? In a provocative presentation, Professor Iain Chalmers used this platform to home in on the role of research ethics committees and the dangers that can arise if approval procedures enable research in a contextual void, ignoring available findings and evidence syntheses – an issue he has been tackling for over 52 years, calling on research stakeholders to do better in this area. 

Professor Edzard Ernst brought into sharp relief the real-world damage caused by flawed health research. Having spent his career investigating what he terms “so-called alternative medicine” (SCAM – a telling acronym), he outlined the extensive issues plaguing research in the field. His findings show that most SCAMs are under-researched or not researched at all – concluding that these ‘treatments’ can in fact be actively detrimental to public health.

Turning to the hot topic of research integrity, Dr Maura Hiney and Professor Anita Maguire described how a challenging or precarious work environment can put researchers under pressure and impact their ability to produce trustworthy outputs. Dr David Moher put a fine point on this in his critique of ‘perverse incentives’ in academia – the biggest offender being the ‘publish or perish’ maxim, which can lead to issues like low reproducibility, poor reporting quality and a reluctance to share data. 

Four paths to promote truth and build trust

Fortunately, speakers did not stop at diagnosing our current malaise, but also explored potential cures. Firstly, they outlined ways to strengthen trustworthy practices within the research community itself. David Moher presented the ‘Hong Kong Principles’ endorsed by the World Conference on Research Integrity – ranging from ensuring transparent reporting to rewarding ‘open science’. Moving from theory to practice, Maura Hiney highlighted international initiatives to enhance research culture, while closer to home, Anita Maguire showcased the work of the Irish Research Integrity National Forum and a promising local programme at her home institution UCC. 

Turning to the broader public, speakers emphasised critical thinking as another key pillar for building trust. Gillian Murphy explained the virtues and drawbacks of strategies like fact checking, ‘inoculation’ campaigns on disinformation, and ‘nudging’ users to reflect on the accuracy of online claims. Both Iain Chalmers and Declan Devane pointed to practical actions such as the Informed Health Choices initiative, which provides tools to help the general public better assess health treatment claims and make decisions based on accurate information. 

Patient and public involvement (PPI), moreover, can help bridge the gap between health research and people’s lived experience, making research outputs more relevant and useful. An enlightening session brought together PPI contributor Deirdre MacLoughlin and medical doctor Margaret McCartney to discuss the opportunities of stakeholder collaboration – with Ms MacLoughlin describing PPI as “a conversation” that can enhance research practice and build trust by bringing patients’ voices to the table. 

Finally, effective communication will be crucial to foreground truth without sacrificing trust. Eileen Culloty presented techniques such as the ‘truth sandwich’ approach to reinforcing true information while discrediting the false. And Mark Little concluded his talk with some valuable advice for health research: calling on researchers to “be first” – to get out ahead of potential false claims; “be clear” – to present unbiased information in plain language; and “be kind” – to remember we are all members of the same community and that trust is built on respect and mutual understanding. 

Watch back

For an engaging roundup of the full event in just ten minutes, be sure to check out Dr Sandra Galvin’s synopsis video – click here to view.

All conference presentations are available to watch back on the HRB YouTube channel. To go directly to a presentation, click on the title and name below: