(PP1413) How Susceptible Is the Tinnitus Community to Online Misinformation?

Lead Presenter(s)

AD

Aniruddha K. Deshpande, PhD

Associate Professor & Director, The Hear-Ring Lab
Hofstra University
Hempstead, New York, United States

Presenter(s)

Colleen O'Brien-Russo, AuD

Research Audiologist
NYU Langone Health
Queens, New York, United States
Vinaya Manchaiah, Professor

Professor and Director of Audiology
University of Colorado School of Medicine, Colorado, United States

Abstract:
The legitimacy of online medical information can vary widely and can diverge from evidence-based research. In the world of audiology, tinnitus has become a primary target for misinformation and unfounded ‘treatments’ offered online due to its high prevalence and lack of objective treatment options. In this investigation, individuals with and without tinnitus were exposed to online misinformation related to tinnitus, and responded to these materials before and after a brief counseling session discussing the causes and management of tinnitus. Educating individuals with tinnitus on their condition is an effective strategy in lowering their susceptibility to online misinformation.

Summary:
Today, the internet serves as a major source of health information, and conditions like tinnitus are frequently searched for and discussed on the internet and social media. Users are inundated with both accurate and imprecise statements and claims about the condition. Unfortunately, previous investigations by our group have revealed that misinformation related to tinnitus abounds on social media, and the tinnitus community is regularly exposed to information about the condition that conflicts with evidence-based practice.

The purpose of this study was to assess how people with and without tinnitus respond to online information about tinnitus presented through YouTube videos. Additionally, researchers aimed to to determine whether a brief counseling session regarding the causes and management of tinnitus decreased an individual’s susceptibility to online misinformation.

A total of 59 participants (22 male, 37 female) ranging in age from 42 to 80 years were included and divided into three groups. Group A (n = 20) consisted of normal hearing individuals with no subjective tinnitus, Group B (n = 19) consisted of individuals with sensorineural hearing loss and chronic, subjective tinnitus present for at least the previous six months, and Group C (n = 20) consisted of individuals with sensorineural hearing loss and no subjective tinnitus. All participants were shown ten YouTube videos related to tinnitus of mixed authenticity, each of which they rated in terms of authenticity and emotional connection to the video. Researchers then provided a short explanation of tinnitus, and participants were re-exposed to and re-rated the videos after the intervention to assess how detection of misinformation changed. A closing session de-briefed the participant and explained which videos contained misinformation.

ANOVA testing determined that the tinnitus group was not less accurate at detecting misinformation than the other two groups after controlling for confounders, but the brief informational counseling session improved the accuracy of misinformation detection in the tinnitus group as determined by paired t-test. Additionally, Pearson’s correlation found a significant moderate negative correlation between sleep disruption and accuracy of detection of misinformation in the tinnitus group, indicating that as tinnitus-induced sleep disruption increased, accuracy of detection of misinformation decreased. Interestingly, linear regression testing determined that there was a significant moderate positive correlation between emotional and accuracy difference scores, indicating that both emotion and accuracy scores increased simultaneously after the intervention.

The ubiquity of online misinformation related to tinnitus is a public health concern for the audiology community. False claims regarding tinnitus and bogus products claiming to cure the condition may become a threat to accurate and effective counseling, and may weaken the clinician-patient relationship. Results of this investigation determined that even brief informational counseling by clinicians regarding tinnitus, including its causes and management techniques, improved the tinnitus group’s ability to detect misinformation, and therefore potentially decreasing their risk of falling prey to unfounded claims or spurious products. Audiologists must be equipped to manage these situations by providing tinnitus patients with precise information about the condition and redirecting them towards more accurate sources of information.

Learning Objectives:

Assess the present state of online information and misinformation as it relates to tinnitus and describe how various patient-level factors impact one’s susceptibility to misinformation