A group of KU Leuven researchers has released a report detailing problems in the communication of health-related topics to the public, including conflicting information and misleading advertising

A ban on advertisements for pharmaceuticals is one of the main measures proposed by a dozen researchers at the University of Leuven (KU Leuven), united in the Metaforum association to improve communication of health-care topics. Their report, “Health and Health Care: Everyone an Expert?”, was presented on Monday.

The researchers, active in a variety of disciplines and led by health economist Erik Schokkaert, said that there is a major gap between scientific knowledge and the public’s perception of health-care issues. According to the report, three out of four people with health-related questions look for information themselves but don’t know which sources are reliable and are confronted with contradictory advice.

Advertising plays a big role in confusing the public, according to the report. “Existing regulations that limit health claims in advertising of food products and supplements must be strictly applied,” said the Metaforum report. “Public advertising of pharmaceutical drugs is best prohibited altogether.”

Researchers also called on universities and hospitals to avoid releasing medical research results until an actual treatment is developed. Communication should emphasise scientific processes and methods rather than spectacular results, they said. Furthermore, experts who publicly interpret research results should be required to mention their possible interests.

The report also states that the government should distribute reliable and understandable health information and create a quality label for websites with health-related information. When media report on research results, said the researchers, they should always mention the original source of the information.

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