What Pharma Communication Leaders Need to Know About Social Media's Information Challenges

New Research Reveals Alarming Trends in Health Information Online

A recently published groundbreaking study in JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association) has revealed disturbing trends in health-related social media content that should concern pharmaceutical companies everywhere.

The research, conducted by the University of Sydney, examined nearly 1,000 posts related to five controversial medical tests across Instagram and TikTok, reaching an audience of almost 200 million followers. Five tests, such as full-body MRI, were identified for the study based on criteria including evidence or concerns that they may not improve health outcomes for healthy individuals, evidence-based concerns about overdiagnosis or overuse, and their discussion on social media for use by generally healthy people. The selection also aimed for a mix of tests targeting different sociodemographics and costs.

“The vast majority of these posts were overwhelmingly misleading”

The findings paint a concerning picture of how health information is presented on social platforms, with significant implications for pharmaceutical brand reputation management.

Key Findings from the Study

The study's results are eye-opening:

• 87.1% of posts mentioned benefits of medical tests, while only 14.7% mentioned potential harms
• Only 6.1% of posts mentioned overdiagnosis or overuse risks
• A staggering 83.8% of posts had a promotional tone rather than educational
• Just 6.4% of posts referenced scientific evidence
• 68% of account holders had financial interests in promoting the test

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2830758

Perhaps most telling was the study's finding on medical expertise: Posts from physicians were significantly more likely to mention potential harms and maintain a less promotional tone. While balanced discussion was possible, the vast majority of posts used emotional anecdotes and direct encouragement to pursue testing. The researchers noted this imbalance was more severe than in traditional media, suggesting physicians could play a vital role in social media reform. With nearly 1,000 posts reaching almost 200 million followers, there's an urgent need for effective solutions to prevent overdiagnosis and overuse resulting from misleading medical content online.

The Reputation Risk for Pharmaceutical Companies

For pharmaceutical companies, these findings highlight several critical reputation management challenges:

1. Spread of Toxic Information: Overly promotional or even misleading claims about medications, treatments, or medical tests can quickly gain traction, potentially damaging trust in traditional  pharmaceutical products.
   
   
2. Association Risk: When a pharmaceutical brand is mentioned in such posts the reputational damage can be significant through guilt by association.
   
   
3. Regulatory Scrutiny: As regulatory bodies like the FDA increase their focus on medical misinformation, pharmaceutical companies may face greater pressure to monitor and address false claims related to their products.
   
   
4. Trust Erosion: The prevalence of influencer or financially driven medical content may erode public trust in health information broadly, creating a more skeptical audience for legitimate pharmaceutical messaging.

Why Traditional Monitoring Falls Short

Many pharmaceutical companies rely on traditional social listening tools that use keyword-based searches to monitor mentions of their brands or products. However, this approach has significant limitations when dealing with health misinformation:

• Evolving terminology: Bad actors often use coded language or evolving terms to avoid detection
• Context matters: Simple keyword monitoring cannot detect nuanced misinformation
• Platform limitations: Many monitoring tools don't effectively track content across fringe platforms where misinformation often originates
• Response time: By the time traditional monitoring detects a viral trend, it may already be too late

Proactive Reputation Management Strategies for Pharma Companies

In light of this research, pharmaceutical companies should consider implementing more sophisticated reputation management strategies:

1. Early Detection Systems - Implement AI-powered monitoring that can identify potentially harmful narratives before they go viral. These systems should:

• Monitor fringe platforms where misinformation often originates
• Detect patterns and emerging narratives, not just keywords
• Provide real-time alerts on potential threats

2. Impact Analysis - Not all mentions require response. Modern reputation management must include:

• Sentiment analysis to understand emotional context
• Influence mapping to identify which voices carry weight
• Spread prediction to determine which narratives might go viral

3. Strategic Response Planning - When harmful information is detected, pharmaceutical companies need:

• Pre-approved response frameworks for quick action
• Established relationships with platforms, and health authorities
• Transparent communication strategies that build trust

4. Educational Content Strategy - To mitigate harmful information spread, pharmaceutical companies should proactively:

• Create easily understandable, evidence-based content about their products
• Partner with trusted medical professionals for authentic messaging
• Establish themselves as sources of accurate information

A New Approach to Reputation Management

The University of Sydney study highlights a critical need for pharmaceutical companies to rethink their approach to reputation management in the age of social media. With the vast majority of health-related content online potentially misleading consumers, pharma companies can no longer afford to rely solely on reactive strategies.

By implementing sophisticated early detection systems, conducting thorough impact analysis, and developing strategic response capabilities, pharmaceutical companies can protect both their brands and public health from the harmful effects of medical misinformation.

In today's digital landscape, staying one step ahead of  toxic information isn't just good business practice—it's an essential component of corporate responsibility in the healthcare sector.

Want to learn more about protecting your pharmaceutical brand from toxic information? Contact our team to discuss how advanced AI detection and mitigation strategies can help safeguard your reputation in today's complex media environment.  

About Vinesight

Vinesight has developed an AI-driven platform that monitors emerging social narratives, and identifies, analyzes, and responds to toxic attacks targeting brands, public sector institutions, and causes. We work with the entities that are at-risk for such attacks, including, the world's largest pharmaceutical companies, and the world's most prominent financial firms. Vinesight empowers brands, campaigns, and organizations to protect their narratives and brand, while ensuring that authenticity prevails in the digital space.

Interested in learning how your brand can leverage  emerging narrative and early attack detection ?