The practice of infodemic management involves systematic use risk- and evidence-based analysis and approaches to promote a healthier information environment and resilience against infodemic impacts on health behaviours during health emergencies. This course introduces learners to the work of an infodemic manager in the field, during health emergencies or in routine. It explains what the principles of this new kind of job are. It also allows learners to discover what tasks and challenges an infodemic manager needs to handle, and how to master them.
Language: English
Health topic
Course information
this course is available in these following languages:
Overview: An infodemic is an overabundance of information, accurate or not, in the digital and physical space, accompanying an acute health event such as an outbreak or epidemic. It can intensify or lengthen outbreaks when people are unsure about what they need to do to protect their health and those around them. With increased social media and internet use, information can spread rapidly online and offline. This can help to fill information voids more quickly but can also amplify harmful messages. In this environment, an infodemic affects people at multiple levels, requiring a whole-of-society and whole information ecosystem approach. Infodemic managers duty is consequently to leverage and reinforce existing systems to inform action by health authorities, to support populations to have an enabling health care system to effectively promote healthy behaviours, guidance and uptake of health services, even in emergencies.
This course explains to the learners how to practice infodemic manager work in the field, during health emergencies or in routine. It allows learners to discover what tasks and challenges an infodemic manager need to handle, and how to master them. After completing this course, interested participants can enrol in further courses of the infodemic management OpenWHO course series as they become available.
Duration: Approximately 1 hour and a half.
Certificates: A certificate of achievement will be available to participants who score at least 80% of the total points available in the final assessment. Participants who receive a certificate of achievement can also download an Open Badge for this course. Click here to learn how.
After completing this course, interested participants can enrol in further courses of the infodemic management OpenWHO course series:
What you'll learn
- Define what is an infodemic and what are its potential consequences
- List the five steps of the Infodemic management process within a health authority
- Explain what is the work of an infodemic manager in the field
- Describe how this new kind of job looks like and where does it take place
- Explain the principles of being an infodemic manager in the field
- Describe the tasks and challenges that infodemic managers manage in the field
- Explain lessons learned from COVID-19
- Employ best practices, evaluation and adapting to different operating contexts
Course contents
Course overview
Introduction: What is an infodemic and why was the job of infodemic manager created:
By the end of this module, you will be able to define what is an infodemic and what are its potential consequences; list the five steps of the Infodemic management process within a health authority; list the four domains of competencies included in the WHO competency framework for building a response workforce to manage infodemics.Module 1: Infodemic manager, a new kind of job:
By the end of this module, you will be able to describe what types of profiles may perform infodemic management tasks; explain where people who have infodemic management duties may work; list what are the principles of being an infodemic manager.Module 2: Tasks and challenges of infodemic managers:
By the end of this module, you will be able to Identify what you need to take on an infodemic management role; list the several kinds of tasks that can be done by an infodemic manager; identify the unique challenges that an infodemic manager might have to face.Module 3: What infodemic managers learned from COVID-19:
By the end of this module, you will be able to explain what an emergency response sounds and feels like; solve how to work on infodemic management tasks in a health area that you're not part of; conduct an elevator pitch to describe what is your job as an infodemic manager.Module 4: Five tips for being a successful infodemic manager :
By the end of this module, you will be able to list and explain what the five tips are to apply to be a successful infodemic manager; to explain why building relationships across disciplines and programmes is key to practice infodemic management efficiently.Final Assessment
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Certificate Requirements
- Gain a Record of Achievement by earning at least 80% of the maximum number of points from all graded assignments.
- Gain an Open Badge by completing the course.