SAN DIEGO — Pediatric clinicians can learn useful information by tracking the health misinformation that their patients encounter, according to research presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics 2026 National Conference & Exhibition Oct. 2-6, 2026, at the San Diego Convention Center.
Researchers created a survey to collect data from medical professionals on what misinformation they heard from patients, the category it fit into, if the survey respondent felt prepared to address it, strategies used, and whether or not their approach worked, along with other demographic questions.
The authors of the abstract, "Tracking Pediatric Health Misinformation Clinicians Hear to Build an Institutional Response," found that more than 50% of the misinformation recorded at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) involved vaccines, as well as topics including aluminum, acetaminophen, ADHD, and supplements. The survey results provided a snapshot of what patients and families were most concerned about when it comes to their children's health.
CHOP researchers used the data to create Pediatric Health Chat, an externally facing website that contained educational information that debunked the misinformation families reported from their everyday lives. They also used the results to develop internal educational trainings for hospital practitioners.
"Looking at these trends allowed us to see in real-time what was worrying the families we care for and allowed us to give them the most up to date science on topics of interest," said Katie Lockwood, MD, MEd, FAAP, study author and pediatrician at CHOP. "Addressing pediatric health misinformation is vital to protecting the health of children, and as trusted messengers, children's hospitals have an obligation to respond."
The research showed that systematically tracking the misinformation families encounter can turn clinicians' real-world questions into effective, targeted education. Although fewer than one-third of survey respondents said their own responses worked, the findings gave providers a clearer understanding of families' concerns and helped guide materials for patients, families and other clinicians.
Researchers state this approach could be replicated in other hospitals and care settings to help build trust with patients and caregivers and provide them the information they need most to keep children healthy.
