Combatting misinformation and empowering patient decisions The impact of BMJ Best Practice in Ireland
In a world flooded with misinformation and unreliable health advice, trusted medical information has never been more critical. Misinformation risks patient safety, reduces vaccine uptake, delays treatment, and erodes the trust essential to effective healthcare. According to the WHO, poor quality or incorrect health information increases pressure on health services, delays diagnosis, leads to inappropriate treatment, and causes avoidable complications. 27 Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) is tackling the challenge of misinformation head on. As part of its national subscription to BMJ Best Practice , HSE provides health professionals with access to
BMJ Best Practice patient information . These concise, evidence based patient leaflets help reassure patients and carers and promote informed, shared decision making. Health professionals use our patient leaflets during consultations to explain diagnoses and treatment options clearly, reduce confusion and provide patients with reliable, easy-to-understand content they can print, download or take home. By embedding accurate, accessible information into routine care, the Health Service Executive enables confident clinical decisions and improves patient outcomes across Ireland. BMJ Best Practice patient leaflets are widely used across the Health Service Executive to strengthen communication between healthcare professionals and patients. An internal HSE report (2024) recorded 288,000 sessions and 1.7 million interactions in one year, underlining their value in daily clinical practice.
Building trust and reducing healthcare burdens The Health Service Executive’s network of 28 libraries spans three regions across Ireland: east, south and west. These healthcare library services have traditionally focused on staff needs. However, the introduction of BMJ Best Practice has enabled a meaningful shift towards empowering patients and the public with trusted, evidence based health information. This move is backed by findings from the National Health Library and Knowledge Service’s 2021 user survey, which showed that access to accurate, accessible information improves clinical decisions and patient outcomes, reduces unnecessary tests, adverse drug events and misdiagnoses, and helps ease pressure on healthcare systems. “Part of the value of making a resource available universally, for all Irish citizens, is that it improves conversations between healthcare professionals and patients, and supports shared decision-making around treatments or lifestyle choices.” Brendan Leen , area library manager (HSE Library), Health Service Executive, Ireland Encouraged by the success of BMJ Best Practice , the HSE is considering expanding its library services to enhance patient education and advocacy further. These services include creating a dedicated post focused on patient information. This role would be responsible for developing the best evidence based health information resources for patients, promoting health literacy, and enabling patients to play an active role in decisions about their care.
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