Webinars, Opinion and Analysis
Quickly and easily check the reliability of a health claim with iHealthFacts.ie
iHealthFacts is a public resource where you can quickly and easily check the reliability of a health claim circulated by social media. It provides information to help people think critically about health claims and make well-informed choices.
Avoiding misinformation is essential during the pandemic. On their website they explain:
Every day, claims are made about, for example, the effects of drugs, specific foods and cancer risk, risks and benefits of moderate alcohol consumption and about a magic diet pill, nutrient or exercise plan. These claims are made by journalists, health care professionals, marketing companies, governments, researchers and by family and friends. Unreliable claims can lead to poorly informed choices, under- or over-use of things we might do to improve or maintain our health and unnecessary waste and human suffering.
Visit www.iHealthFacts.ie to get the facts behind health claims and answers to questions like Can large doses of vitamin C prevent or treat COVID-19?; Does wearing a face-mask by people who are not sick prevent COVID-19 infection? or Does 5G affect the spread of COVID-19?
UCC’s Dr Frances Shiely and Dr Darren Dahly are Evidence Advisors on iHealthFacts.ie. To support informed decision making, Dr Dahly has organised a group of clinical trial statisticians to evaluate COVID-19 related clinical trials. One of their 4 expert reviews has been downloaded over 24,000 times.
iHealthFacts.ie is an initiative developed by the Health Research Board-Trials Methodology Research Network (HRB-TMRN), Evidence Synthesis Ireland and Cochrane Ireland based in NUI Galway delivered together with Partners and Evidence Advisors.
