Not sure what type of bug bit you or what caused that rash? Many Americans hashtag their questions and turn to social media for health information, whether they are looking up symptoms, researching a diagnosis or learning about a treatment.
More than 1 in 5 adults in the United States who use social media reported making health decisions based on information they encountered there, according to a study published June 30 in the journal JAMA.
How should people use social media to learn about their health? What are the biggest pitfalls? And how should people think about artificial intelligence, which is increasingly shaping the information they see online?
To help answer these questions, I spoke with CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and clinical associate professor at George Washington University. She previously served as Baltimore’s health commissioner.
CNN: What did we learn about Americans using social media for health information in this new study?
