Elsevier launches COVID-19 healthcare hub to curb spread of misinformation and support clinicians

Complimentary resources include localised online learning tools for healthcare professionals and the public in India on the prevention and management of COVID-19, along with evidence-based information on COVID-19 vaccines

Elsevier has launched its India COVID-19 Healthcare Hub for frontline healthcare workers and members of the public in India. Featuring complimentary resources and online learning tools, it offers the latest evidence-based information on the novel coronavirus, with materials on the prevention and management of COVID-19 to help limit the spread of misinformation, the company said in a release.

To help support an overwhelmed healthcare system and combat the spread of misinformation, Elsevier’s India COVID-19 Healthcare Hub contains the latest fact-based information on COVID-19, including approved treatments and guidelines, along with other useful tools to help doctors, nurses and healthcare workers provide patient care. This resource aims to meet the increasing need for standardised, credible and accurate information around the pandemic and allow healthcare professionals to provide consistent and safe patient care, it added.

A recent research has shown that 67.2 per cent of misinformation in India involves health-related topics, such as falsehoods on the COVID-19 vaccine, other forms of medical treatments, medical institutions and healthcare facilities. The same study found that online media was responsible for higher volumes of inaccurate news (94.4 per cent) compared to mainstream media (5.6 per cent), with false claims being distributed mainly on social media platforms.

In addition to the India COVID-19 Healthcare Hub, Elsevier is also supporting Swasth Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that promotes universal and affordable healthcare for the people of India.

Together with the RELX Group, Elsevier’s parent company, the two organisations have contributed approximately 22 high-flow oxygen concentrators to support more than 12,000 critically ill patients in India.