People undergoing treatment for cancer are more exposed to the risk of believing false news, especially on social media. A communication course for healthcare personnel starts in Ancona
Cancer patients in treatment are more vulnerable to misinformation about Covid-19 which is widespread online, especially in social networks. Conversely, people affected by cancer, but who have finished treatment, are less exposed to the risk of running into fake news. This is highlighted by a study on almost 900 patients, recently published in the journal Patient Education and Counseling“. On the other hand, clinicians seem not to grasp the need for certified sources. In fact, another survey on more than 500 people affected by cancer showed that the internet is a point of reference for 3 out of 4 patients, but just 5% received advice from their oncologist on where to investigate issues related to their health. And a study, conducted by the Polytechnic University of Marche on 75 health workers, showed that half did not receive specific training in the communication field but 93.4% want to acquire or improve their skills in this sector. In Ancona, at the Marche Polytechnic University, the first will start on June 16 advanced university course in “Communicating cancer, medicine and health”. 50 places are available, it will take place online on a weekly basis, will last six months and the deadline for submitting applications to participate is 19 April.
Correct information
“To defeat cancer we need many weapons, not only the fundamental and irreplaceable ones of medicine and scientific research – says Rossana Berardi, Professor of Medical Oncology at the Polytechnic University of Marche, Director of the Oncological Clinic of Ospedali Riuniti in Ancona and member of the National Board of AIOM (Italian Association of Medical Oncology) -. It is also imperative to provide correct information and not fall into the traps of disinformation. In the oncology field, especially in this period of the Covid-19 pandemic, bad information is more deleterious than in other fields, because it impacts on health and, potentially, on patients, who can be induced to make wrong decisions for their path of treatment. The specialization course, through academic training, aims to train health professionals and disseminators by transmitting the fundamental rules for communicating not only cancer, which represents the paradigm of diseases also for its great emotional impact, but more generally medicine and health. “. The course is promoted by the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the Polytechnic University of Marche, in collaboration with WHIN (Web Health Information Network). «The University has the task of training health professionals and health communication must be part of the operators’ study path – explains Mauro Silvestrini, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the Marche Polytechnic University -. The media, in particular social networks, offer an important opportunity to place patients at the center of the health system: in fact, they make it possible to recover the trust of citizens, to interact and use tools, such as storytelling, to generate dialogue “.
The path requirements
The admission requirements are represented by a bachelor’s or master’s degree or an equivalent qualification obtained abroad. Approximately 160 hours of lessons and over 35 of internships are planned. The postgraduate course is part of a broader project, ‘comunicilcancro’, which includes a dedicated portal (www.comunicareilcancro.it) and profiles on the main social networks. «Our goal is to provide the tools to disseminate correct information in the oncology field and beyond, starting from the use of safe and effective sources – underlines Mauro Boldrini, AIOM Communication Director -. For example, the equation “tumor equals incurable disease” should no longer be used. Today, in our country, 65% of women and 59% of men are alive 5 years after diagnosis. And more and more people can claim to have overcome the disease. Effective communication on social media can also contribute to stemming the worrying phenomenon of fake news “. The main teachings of the postgraduate course include Clinical Oncology, General and Applied Hygiene, Neurology, Narrative Medicine, Business Organization in the health sector, the History of Communication in Medicine, Forensic Medicine, the Team working and communication of victories and defeats, up to effective communication on radio, TV, online and print newspapers and the rules for managing the news and conducting an interview.
Using social media in a virtuous way
«Social media can have an important impact in the management of chronic diseases such as tumors – continues Berardi -. Cancer patients use social networks to be part of a community, to feel less alone and to search for information. The comparison with those in similar conditions generates positive expectations and can favor the correct behaviors of other patients. Healthcare professionals also need to know the rules of these tools to use them appropriately. Furthermore, social media can contribute to changing lifestyles, abandoning health-threatening habits such as cigarette smoking, a sedentary lifestyle and an improper diet. An example is that of the Mayo Clinic, the American organization that manages about 70 hospitals in the United States and is the world leader in medical standards. This institution promotes awareness and prevention activities through social platforms. Also at an international level, the National Cancer Institute is also an excellent example of how digital tools can be used to prevent prevention. The postgraduate course is inspired by these virtuous examples. “” The power of communication and, more generally, of the word is absolutely underestimated – concludes Marcello D’Errico, Professor of Hygiene at the Polytechnic University of Marche -. Neurophysiology studies show that some words rather than others are able to activate specific areas of the brain in the same way as drugs. Healthcare professionals often underestimate the power of communication, as an indispensable tool in guiding the decisions and therapeutic choices of patients, who not only do not have the cultural tools to decide for themselves, but who are also burdened by the emotional weight of the disease that puts them in a condition of further fragility. Correct information must be considered a real duty of health professionals, to which the ethical dimension is added: it is in fact fundamental for the advancement of knowledge and can perform an important educational function. More prevention translates into fewer cases of cancer and a greater number of early diagnoses ».
March 27, 2022 (change March 27, 2022 | 18:54)
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