Health misinformation – information that is false, inaccurate, or misleading according to the best available evidence at the time – poses an urgent threat to public health. The speed, scale, and sophistication with which misinformation has spread during the COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented. In an effort to improve our understanding of this public health issue, the Surgeon General is putting out a Request for Information on the Impact of Health Misinformation in the Digital Information Environment in the United States Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic.
What is a Request for Information?
A Request for Information (RFI) is a tool for engaging with the public and gathering input. It allows us to hear from many voices when learning about an issue and considering how best to address it.
Who is this for?
All members of the public are invited to participate in the RFI. The Surgeon General is especially interested in he aring healthcare workers’ stories of how health misinformation has affected them during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What information are we looking for?
The Surgeon General is interested in answers to a broad set of questions, such as:
- How has misinformation affected patient care during the pandemic (e.g. around decisions not to vaccinate)?
- How has COVID misinformation affected healthcare systems (e.g. worker safety and morale, time and resources spent addressing misinformation)?
- How has access to trusted and credible health information affected lifesaving health decisions such as an individual’s likelihood to vaccinate?
How will the information be used?
Information from this RFI will contribute to a greater understanding of how society can best respond to the threat of health misinformation. By making this research and data available to the public, this effort can drive diverse analysis from a broad range of stakeholders across fields and further the public body of research on health misinformation. We will share what we learn from responses to the RFI directly with the public at surgeongeneral.gov/RFI.
How can information be submitted?
Information can be submitted via form at surgeongeneral.gov/RFI or via email to COVIDMisinfoRFI@hhs.gov. If responding via email, please include [Impact of Health Misinformation in the Digital Information Environment in the United States Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic Request for Information (RFI)] in the subject line of the message. Responses that are more than 500 words or that include attachments should be sent via email. Before submitting via email, participants are encouraged to visit surgeongeneral.gov/RFI to review the full set of questions in the RFI.