JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

In the face of health emergencies, effective infodemic management is a paramount challenge. A new era of rapidly changing information environment, coupled with the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation, has magnified the complexity of the issue. For infodemic management measures to be effective and acceptable/trustworthy, a robust framework of ethical considerations and practices in social listening (SL) and more broadly in infodemic management (IM) is needed.

Objective:

This systematic scoping review, commissioned by the World Health Organization (Unit for High Impact Events Preparedness, Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention; Health Ethics and Governance Unit, Department of Research for Health) aims to identify and analyze ethical considerations and procedural principles relevant to IM and SL, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of these practices.

Methods:

The review involved a comprehensive examination of the literature, drawing from publications in databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Policy documents and relevant material were included in the search strategy. Papers were assessed, and core thematic areas were systematically identified and categorized.

Results:

The review yields several key findings related to ethical principles, approaches and guidelines for practice in the context of SL and IM. Community engagement, empowerment through education, inclusivity, and equity are identified as fundamental procedural principles and practices that enhance the quality and effectiveness of communication and SL efforts, fostering trust, a key emerging theme. The review also emphasizes the significance of transparency, privacy, and cybersecurity in data collection.

Conclusions:

This review highlights the critical role of ethics in enhancing the effectiveness of IM and SL during health emergencies. Ethical considerations serve as fundamental tools for building both trust and trustworthiness as well as for enabling medium- and long-term success of IM and SL practices.