Health Misinformation in Australia: Exploring Educational Interventions to Address Susceptibility
Western Sydney University are thrilled to announce their collaboration with Conceptavision Pty Ltd on an industry-focused PhD project aimed at addressing key challenges in the health and digital media sectors.
The project, titled “Health Misinformation in Australia: Exploring Educational Interventions to Address Susceptibility” focuses on investigating the factors that increase people’s susceptibility to online health misinformation following a medical diagnosis. It seeks to develop effective creative media interventions to address the risks of susceptibility, and aims to contribute to public health policy and practice.
Leveraging the University of Western Sydney University’s renowned expertise in applied health innovation and addressing adult media literacy needs and Conceptavision Pty Ltd‘s industry leadership in producing engaging creative health communication media, this project epitomises a collaborative approach that bridges the gap between academia and industry.
“This project enables us to explore how we can leverage our expertise in media production to develop real-world solutions that help address the serious threat that misinformation poses to human health in Australia. Western Sydney University has a proven track record of world-leading research outputs in the areas of health studies and communication, so this collaboration is an opportunity to produce high-quality educational interventions informed by world-class research and tailored to the Australian context.” – Jack McGrath, Director, Conceptavision Pty Ltd
“This project will enhance and complement the work we are doing at WSU to help citizens develop their media literacy to address misinformation. Conceptavision brings considerable expertise in producing interactive media. This partnership will support them to develop an effective model to support people who are searching for answers online following a health diagnosis”. – Professor Tanya Notley, Academic Supervisor, WSU
“I’m very excited to be working in this important area of need. The direct and indirect harms caused by health misinformation are well established in the literature, and we need to work across academia and industry to do everything we can to help combat the threat that health misinformation poses. My hope is that this project will contribute to real-world health benefits for all Australians.” – Daisy De Windt, PhD Candidate and Director Business Development, Conceptavision Pty Ltd
This collaboration between Conceptavision Pty Ltd and Western Sydney University will support the development of real-world commercialisation and translation services or products, given the clear need to help Australians navigate complex health information, and to be educated about information that is misleading and potentially harmful. Through the co-design of novel educational interventions, the project aims to enhance the health literacy of regional Australians who are potentially susceptible to health misinformation.