As public health marketers it is our job to encourage people to make informed choices based accurate information. This, however, can be difficult. Often public health data is misinterpreted, and misinformation is spread. One way to combat this misinformation is to educate our audiences on how data should be used, as well as how to spot misinformation in the future.
Education is Key
Although the information others put into the world is out of our control, we can educate our audiences and lead them toward accurate interpretations of information. Dr. Katrine Wallace is particularly effective at this kind of educational work. She is an epidemiologist, science communicator, and social media influencer, who has been working diligently to provide her followers with timely and accurate information regarding public health topics. With accounts on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, Dr. Kat is redefining what public health marketing can look like.
Her social media centers around responding to claims made by individuals misinterpreting data and spreading misinformation. Along with her regular updates, Dr. Kat also works to educate her audiences on misinformation techniques and how to spot them. A prime example is her video on base rate fallacy, where she explains how public health data can be misinterpreted when comparing populations.
Understanding how to use public health data is important when fighting against misinformation. Therefore, educating audiences is important in stopping its spread. As public health marketers we must developing engaging approaches to educate our audiences and ensure they’re accurately interpreting information.