When checking the author, health professionals often look for cues about the author's credibility. This can include a "verified" check next to their profile name, or their title (RN, MD) in their profile name. 

Internal acts of authentication: checking the author

When checking the text for cues, health professionals look for aspects of the text itself that could indicate that the information is false This could be grammatical characteristics, such as being overly dramatic, conspiracy-like, or using too much expert jargon to appear more credible. Another clear sign is the absence of a reference to back up the claim. 

Internal acts of authentication: checking the text cues

When evaluating a piece of health information online, health professionals check the topic to see if it is one where misinformation is prevalent. An example of such a topic would be vaccines. 

Internal acts of authentication: checking the topic

Internal acts of authentication health information are when the professional uses their medical knowledge to assess a health-related claim. This includes using cues about the author, checking for cues in the text, and checking the topic of the post. 

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Through semi-structured interviews, researchers outlined a framework that healthcare professionals use to correct misinformation they come across on social media. These steps include:
- Internal acts of authentication 
- External acts of authentication
- Preparation for correction
- Correction Dissemination

How Healthcare Professionals Correct Health Misinformation Online

Bautista, J. R., Zhang, Y., & Gwizdka, J. (2021). Healthcare professionals’ acts of correcting health misinformation on social media. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 148(104375). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2021.104375

Healthcare professionals’ acts of correcting health misinformation on social media

Internal acts of authentication

If internal authentication does not provide enough information to determine the veracity of the claim, health professionals turn to external cues for authenticating the claim. This method involves using external sources rather than one's own knowledge. These include examining the author and examining the content. 

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