A parent arrives with a screenshot that promises a detox for a child’s allergies. The pediatrician does not argue about the ingredients. She starts with one sentence: “Before we talk about that post, here’s what we know helps and what can harm.”
Canadians face a steady stream of confident health claims; some partly right, others wrong and risky – and some potentially fatal. Misunderstandings also start inside the room: a rushed explanation, a term that sounds like a diagnosis, a discharge instruction that lands as a warning. Platform rules and national campaigns matter, but people still need something practical in the exam room, at discharge, at the pharmacy counter and in community spaces.
So, what helps in the room? I interviewed clinicians in family medicine, cardiology, emergency and pediatrics to determine best practices to combat myths in clinic.
First, anticipation. Clinicians must anticipate misunderstandings that arise from social media posts patients see on their phones. A pediatric allergist offers parents a simple challenge: “You’ll probably see posts saying detoxes ‘clean the blood.’ Before you decide, check whether there were trials in people and the date. Key point: your liver and kidneys already do this, and some products interact with medicines.” It is not a lecture. It gives patients one fact and a way to test the next thing they read online. If they’ve already seen, and believe, the claim, we use the second approach.
Second, a simple, three-step approach. State the best-supported fact, acknowledge the claim but label it as misleading, then close with what to do. An emergency physician’s discharge script sounds like this: “GLP-1 medicines help some people with diabetes or obesity and have known side effects. The claim that they ‘melt fat safely for anyone’ is misleading. If we ever consider one for you, we’ll review benefits, risks and alternatives, and set a monitoring plan.” The aim is to end on an action rather than the myth.
Third, a quick check of understanding. Many clinicians ask patients to explain the plan in their own words. One sentence is enough: “Just to be sure I explained this well, how would you tell a friend what we decided today?” Clinicians say this catches jargon and assumptions quickly.
How does this look in different settings? In family medicine, one clinician keeps a small card taped to a monitor with two anticipatory lines and three prompts to check a patient’s understanding. “On a busy day, I don’t rely on memory.” In the emergency department, (ED) where fear and time pressure dominate, a one-minute discharge message pairs with a very short “return now” list naming a few symptoms that mean come back immediately. “People want thresholds, not lectures.”
Myths are especially persistent in pediatrics.
“One of the most common myths we hear from parents is that peanuts and other nuts should not be introduced before one year of age,” says Abeer Hegazi, a pediatric allergist. “That is false. For years, guidelines have recommended introducing allergenic foods as early as four to six months. Delaying beyond that has been associated with a higher risk of developing some food allergies.”
When parents ask why, she keeps it simple: “An immature immune system learns by exposure. Avoidance impairs this learning and can lead to developing a food allergy.” In clinic, she starts with the parent’s goal – keep the child safe at daycare or school – anticipates the myth they will see online and then practices the epinephrine trainer with the parent.
“People end up spending money for nothing and may gain a false sense of security.”
In EDs, the first step is to make people feel heard. Kevin Sliwowicz, an emergency physician, puts it plainly. “If someone has come to hospital worried, they’re less likely to listen if they think I’m not taking their concerns seriously,” he says. “If the workup shows nothing emergent, I explain what I think is happening and why. Once we have some rapport, I’ll be very direct that the internet is a bad place to seek medical advice.” The discharge ends with clear actions and a short “return now” list.
Pharmacy adds an example on the counter. A small sign near the till reads, “If a product promises a ‘detox’ or ‘miracle cure,’ ask us first.” The conversation that follows is short and neutral: what the product claims, what we actually know, how it could interact with medicines already in hand. Before the person leaves, the pharmacist uses one teach-back line, “How will you take this safely?”, to catch confusion early.
Cardiology shows that beliefs that may seem benign can harden into firm decisions. “The most common misconception I encounter daily is that supplements are broadly beneficial for cardiovascular health,” says Chi-Ming Chow, a cardiologist. “There is no evidence these supplements help. People end up spending money for nothing and may gain a false sense of security.”
He keeps it concrete: When patients ask about Coenzyme Q10 and omega-3s, he turns the conversation to outcomes that matter and on a next step the patient agrees to try and review. On the acute side, after low-risk chest pain, some clinicians try to anticipate what the patient may see that night: videos equating any troponin rise with a heart attack. The line stays short: “You’ll see posts saying any rise means a heart attack. Context matters. Here are the signs to return for, tonight and this week.”
In public health, communicators described testing messages with community partners before a campaign goes live, especially when translations are needed. Word-for-word accuracy is not enough; tone matters, and examples must feel local. Community leaders want to co-write and be credited. Trust grows when the final message reflects their voices and when people can see who helped make it.
What did not help was consistent: Shame and sarcasm closed conversations; long debunks invited arguments and were hard to recall. Short, neutral language tied to a next step travelled further.
We should not claim more than we know. This three-step approach – anticipate the likely claim, offer one clear fact with a next step and check understanding – is ordinary work. But it helps.
