Dear Neil & HIFA colleagues,
I'd like to follow on from the message from Chris Zielinski (https://www.hifa.org/dgroups-rss/hifa-social-media-x-volunteers-and-your...). I'm sure many share his depth of feeling and are tempted to leave X/Twitter (if they haven't already done so).
Nevertheless, many health professionals, researchers and organisations (such as WHO) still use X/Twitter to share research, guidelines, outbreak information and public health messages.
I wonder how much X/Twitter retains among HIFA members these days?
A recent Lancet article, “The paradox of trust in health care in the age of social media” (Ienca, Gounder & Emanuel, 2026*), discusses how social media can change the relationship between expertise, credibility and trust.
And a 2025 study** examined health information about COVID-19 on Twitter/X, including how trustworthy information and misinformation might be distinguished.
I'd like to ask HIFA members: What is YOUR experience?
• Do you still use X/Twitter for health information in your workplace?
• In general, what makes you trust a health-related account or post?
• Do you check information against other sources before sharing it?
• Has your trust in X/Twitter as a source of health information changed in recent years? And if so, why?
• What value do you see in X/Twitter in relation to health information?
• Is X/Twitter particularly useful for connecting health professionals and sharing information across countries?
We'd love to hear examples - both positive and negative. What other thoughts do you have?
(*https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)02556-5/abstract
**https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39934858/)
Best wishes
Julie
HIFA profile: Julie N Reza is a UK-based specialist in communications for biosciences, global health & international development (www.globalbiomedia.co.uk). She predominantly works with NGOs and not-for-profit organisations. Previously she was the senior science editor at TDR, based at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva; prior to this she worked at the Wellcome Trust, UK, leading educational projects on international health topics including trypanosomiasis and trachoma. She has a PhD in immunology and a specialist degree in science communication. She also has several years research and postgraduate teaching experience. She is a member of the HIFA Steering Group and HIFA Social Media Working Group. www.hifa.org/people/steering-group
www.hifa.org/people/social-media naimareza AT hotmail.com