Physicians Spreading Medical Misinformation: The Suitability of Regulation with Richard Saver

Описание: Physicians have played a surprisingly prominent role in the current “infodemic” of false and misleading medical claims. Disturbing examples include certain physicians publicly discrediting vaccination and others promoting ineffective Covid-19 treatments such as ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. Because they can “weaponize” their white coats, physicians pose especially potent dangers when spreading misinformation to the general public. As a result, there have been widespread calls for legal action, above all increased discipline by state medical boards. Richard Saver’s lecture will discuss the prevalence of physician-spread misinformation and the associated harms. Pushing back against the widespread criticism of medical boards for insufficient action, he will question the suitability of medical board oversight. Medical boards have unclear legal authority to regulate physicians’ communications outside a doctor-patient relationship for several reasons, including physicians’ First Amendment rights and limited statutory authority. Institutional design limitations, such as resource constraints and uptake procedures, also hinder medical boards ability to respond effectively. Moreover, because of the difficulty in defining medical misinformation with precision, serious risks arise of regulatory overreach. Saver will review data on recent disciplinary actions by medical boards and the policy implications. He will conclude with a brief discussion of regulatory alternatives to medical board oversight.