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Global information and analytics company, Elsevier has launched India COVID-19 Healthcare Hub to curb the spread of misinformation and aid medical experts. A recent study reveals that 67.2 per cent of the reports generated in India are about the falsehoods on the COVID-19 vaccine, medical treatments and institutions, and healthcare facilities.
The study also states that online media was responsible for higher volumes of inaccurate news (94.4 per cent) compared to mainstream media (5.6 per cent). India COVID-19 Healthcare Hub contains latest fact-based information on COVID-19, along with useful tools to help doctors, nurses and healthcare workers who provide patient care.
Excerpts of an interview with Shankar Kaul, Managing Director (India), Elsevier:
What’s the aim of this initiative?
We are facing one of the worst public health crises in modern history and need to work together to help save lives. This initiative is an extension of our global Covid-19 Healthcare Hub, which Elsevier launched in April 2020. Today, it has received over 300,000 visits from physicians, nurses, clinicians, patients, and researchers who are seeking the latest information and trustworthy resources on the pandemic.
Who will it help and how?
Having credible and accurate evidence-based information in this pandemic will support India’s stretched healthcare system. Healthcare professionals can access the latest guidelines and reliable resources on the management and prevention of the disease to provide consistent and safe patient care. This will curb the spread of misinformation.
The Healthcare Hub includes Patient Resources to inform and educate the public on the prevention and management of the disease; Vaccine Toolkit on the latest curated evidence-based information about approved vaccines; and ICU Nursing Refresher Toolkit for curated, key nursing skills and e-learning lessons for ICU nurses managing high volumes of COVID-19 patients. Our patient resources break down technical jargon on the virus into simpler terms, illustrated as videos and Q&As.
Where do you gather all the authentic information from?
The India COVID-19 Healthcare Hub is supported by dozens of cross-functional team members at Elsevier, which include clinicians, researchers, technologists and content specialists. The information on the India COVID-19 Healthcare Hub is developed by Elsevier’s global team of researchers, clinicians, and data scientists as well as Indian research specialists who incorporate the latest findings and local guidelines on the current variant.
The ICU Nursing Refresher toolkit available on the site was developed in collaboration with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, and is being utilised by many hospitals and healthcare systems around the world.
The information and free resources can be accessed on elsevier.com. Additionally, the public may connect with Elsevier to receive the latest content via WhatsApp. The spread of misinformation can induce widespread panic and anxiety, and hamper the efforts to curb the spread of the disease. This information needs to be easily accessible for the public to intuitively turn to when they need a single source of truth.