Themes Surrounding COVID-19 and Its Infodemic: Qualitative Analysis of the COVID-19 Discussion on the Multidisciplinary Healthcare Information for All Health Forum

• Published in: JMIR Infodemiology
• Main Authors: Rakshith Gangireddy, Stuti Chakraborty, Neil Pakenham-Walsh, Branavan Nagarajan, Prerna Krishan, Richard McGuire, Gladson Vaghela, Abi Sriharan
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: JMIR Publications 2022
• Subjects: Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics; R858-859.7; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.2196/30167; https://doaj.org/article/b1bec2fc08dc47f296a1d76270f388f6

BackgroundHealthcare Information for All (HIFA) is a multidisciplinary global campaign consisting of more than 20,000 members worldwide committed to improving the availability and use of health care information in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). During the COVID-19 pandemic, online HIFA forums saw a tremendous amount of discussion regarding the lack of information about COVID-19, the spread of misinformation, and the pandemic’s impact on different communities. ObjectiveThis study aims to analyze the themes and perspectives shared in the COVID-19 discussion on English HIFA forums. MethodsOver a period of 8 months, a qualitative thematic content analysis of the COVID-19 discussion on English HIFA forums was conducted. In total, 865 posts between January 24 and October 31, 2020, from 246 unique study participants were included and analyzed. ResultsIn total, 6 major themes were identified: infodemic, health system, digital health literacy, economic consequences, marginalized peoples, and mental health. The geographical distribution of study participants involved in the discussion spanned across 46 different countries in every continent except Antarctica. Study participants’ professions included public health workers, health care providers, and researchers, among others. Study participants’ affiliation included nongovernment organizations (NGOs), commercial organizations, academic institutions, the United Nations (UN), the World Health Organization (WHO), and others. ConclusionsThe themes that emerged from this analysis highlight personal recounts, reflections, suggestions, and evidence around addressing COVID-19 related misinformation and might also help to understand the timeline of information evolution, focus, and needs surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.