Trust in medical information shared on social media: a cross-sectional survey among healthcare professionals and students

Fatih Öner Kaya; Yılmaz Sezgin

doi:10.18663/tjcl.1779742

Trust in medical information shared on social media: a cross-sectional survey among healthcare professionals and students

Authors : Fatih Öner Kaya, Yılmaz Sezgin

Pages : 570-578

Doi:10.18663/tjcl.1779742

View : 49 | Download : 70

Publication Date : 2025-09-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Aim: This study aimed to assess the level of trust in medical information shared on social media among different professional groups in the healthcare field, and to examine how this trust varies by age, gender, and professional role. Material and Methods: A total of 350 participants, including 200 medical students, 75 pharmacists, 75 nurses, and 50 physicians, were included in this cross-sectional survey study. The 30-item questionnaire covered demographics, usage patterns, trust, and misinformation. Exploratory factor analysis identified a nine-item Trust and Attitudes toward Online Medical Information Scale (TAOMIS) with acceptable reliability (Cronbach’s α=0.742). Scores (1–4) were rescaled to 0–100. Results: All respondents reported daily social media use. Students and nurses more often spent >2 hours/day, while physicians and pharmacists used 1–2 hours (p<0.001). TikTok was preferred by students (41.5%) and nurses (56.0%), while YouTube use was higher among physicians (42.0%) and pharmacists (42.7%) (p<0.001). Trust in online content was low: 68% of physicians and 58.5% of students rated information as often unreliable. Physicians and pharmacists more often verified and corrected misinformation, whereas nurses and students tended to ignore it (p<0.001). TAOMIS scores differed significantly by role (p<0.001): physicians scored highest (73.5), followed by pharmacists (67.3), while nurses (51.3) and students (41.9) scored lower. Scores did not differ by gender but increased with age. Conclusions: Healthcare professionals vary in their trust and responses to online medical information. Physicians and pharmacists showed more evidence-aligned attitudes, whereas students and nurses were more vulnerable to misinformation. Integrating digital health literacy into health professions education and strengthening institutional policies are needed to safeguard trust in medical knowledge.
Keywords : sosyal medya, yanlış bilgi, güven, sağlık profesyonelleri, dijital sağlık okuryazarlığı

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