Fact Check Your Health Katie Byrd & Sydney Miller

Have you ever found yourself nodding along to health advice that just confirms what you already believed? Well, strap in as we unpack the sneaky influence of confirmation bias on health research. We dissect how our previous ideas and beliefs can effect what information we see and how we interpret it. This conversation is a deep dive into the importance of getting information from multiple perspectives when researching health topics, and we share tips on how to use various search terms to make sure you're seeing a well-rounded perspective.

As we wrap up this final episode of Fact Check Your Health, we're providing you with a toolkit to be able to make empowered decisions about your health. We're truly thankful for the time we've shared with you, diving into topics that shape our decisions about our health. It's been an incredible journey, and we can't express enough thanks for your role in our podcast family. Here's to having the skills so that you can Fact Check Your Health!

Episode outline:
0:32 - What is confirmation bias?
2:15 - Examples of confirmation bias
3:45 - Tips on avoiding confirmation bias
5:34 - What do you do when you find conflicting information about a topic?
6:50 - Example of conflicting information
9:00 - How to use the information you found to make a decision about your health
10:25 - Updating your beliefs


For more information and additional resources check out the Fact Check Your Health website at https://factcheckyourhealth.squarespace.com

Disclaimer: The information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes and is not intended as medical advice. For medical advice contact a licensed medical provider.

In the fourth episode Katie and Sydney tackle a common pitfall we all stumble upon daily – the misleading and out-of-context health "facts" that flood our social media feeds. Ever read one of those eye-catching headlines claiming something like coffee is the new miracle cure for a serious disease? Our hosts dive into why we should take these sensational claims with a grain of salt. They discuss the crucial differences between causation and correlation in health studies and why understanding these differences can save us from jumping to false conclusions.
This episode isn't just about debunking health myths; it's a practical guide on how to sift through research findings and headlines to find the truth. This episode explains why just because a study is statistically significant doesn't mean it's going to change your life or health in meaningful ways. They also shed light on the tricky business of risk evaluation and how a seemingly scarier "triple risk" might not be as daunting when you look at the actual numbers.
So before you swear off your favorite foods or jump on the next health trend based on a buzzy article, tune in. This episode might just change the way you view health news and help you make better-informed decisions about what's truly beneficial for your well-being.

Episode Outline:
0:20 - Why that headline might not be true!
2:00 - Correlation vs. Causation. What is it and why does it matter?
3:25 - Example of Correlation vs. Causation
4:25 - What is statistical signifcance?
5:50 - What is clinical significance?
7:00 - Example of statistical vs. clinical significance
8:40 - Additional example of statistical vs. clinical significance
9:25 - Importance of risk in health research
10:15 - Medication risk example
13:15 - What is a natural frequency and why should you look at risk in natural frequencies?


For more information and additional resources check out the Fact Check Your Health website at https://factcheckyourhealth.squarespace.com

Disclaimer: The information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes and is not intended as medical advice. For medical advice contact a licensed medical provider.

In Episode 3 of "Fact Check Your Health," dive deeper with Katie and Sydney as they discuss the different types of health research studies. This episode is a treasure trove for anyone looking to understand the different types of studies and their impact on the health information we consume daily. 
Katie and Sydney break down the scientific jargon, making sense of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), observational studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses using everyday language and relatable examples. They emphasize the importance of distinguishing between causation and correlation, explain the placebo effect and confounding factors, and provide practical tips for evaluating research findings. This episode equips listeners with the knowledge to better understand research claims and make informed health decisions.

Podcast Outline:
0:55 - Not all research is created equal
2:10 - Overview of experimental & observational studies
5:26 - What is a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCTs) and why they are the gold standard for research
6:30 - Placebo effect
8:35 - Confounding factors
9:40 - Example of a confounding factor
10:30 - How to determine if a study is an experimental study or observational study
11:05 - Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
12:40 - Episode recap


For more information and additional resources check out the Fact Check Your Health website at https://factcheckyourhealth.squarespace.com

Disclaimer: The information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes and is not intended as medical advice. For medical advice contact a licensed medical provider.

In the second episode of "Fact Check Your Health," Katie and Sydney provide a crash course on navigating health research like a pro. They break down the essentials of understanding research studies from Google Scholar or PubMed, focusing on the importance of different topics like sample sizes, conflicts of interest, and more. This episode equips you with the know-how to figure out what the different aspects of a research article mean, and which aspects are the most important to pay attention to!
By the end of this episode, you'll have a grasp on how to find accurate health information online and an overview of how to read academic articles so that you're one step closer to being able to make choices based on solid evidence, not just sensational soundbites or viral social media posts.

Podcast Outline:
0:50 - Study objective
1:28 - Study type/design
2:12 - Study sample size
2:40 - Study sample type
3:50 - Study results
5:30 - Author/Affiliations
6:05 - Citations
6:55 - Conflicts of interest
8:10 - Journals/Impact Factors
9:20 - Publishing date


For more information and additional resources check out the Fact Check Your Health website at https://factcheckyourhealth.squarespace.com

Disclaimer: The information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes and is not intended as medical advice. For medical advice contact a licensed medical provider.

Ever feel like you're swimming against a current of health misinformation? Join us, Katie and Sydney, in the kickoff episode of "Fact Check Your Health" where we set the stage for the series, focusing on how to find reliable health information and determine how credible a source may be. In a world where anyone can be a "health expert", we break down how to critically examine the qualifications of the information you see online. 
In this episode, we take you through practical strategies for determining the accuracy of health claims you see on social media and beyond. By going through examples of how to effectively use websites like PubMed and Google Scholar, we hope to empower you to be able to independently verify health information and equip you with the tools to navigate and fact-check health information in a world full of both knowledge and noise.

Podcast Outline:
0:01 - Introduction
1:30 - First thing to do when you see health information online
2:32 - Creator/Authors credentials
4:10 - Crosschecking information
4:50 - How to find accurate sources
5:26 - How to use PubMed and Google Scholar
6:00 - Quick overview of academic articles w/example
7:00 - What is an abstract
7:30 - Alternative ways to find accurate information
9:12 - Example of finding health information
10:47 - Episode recap


For more information and additional resources check out the Fact Check Your Health website at https://factcheckyourhealth.squarespace.com

Disclaimer: The information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes and is not intended as medical advice. For medical advice contact a licensed medical provider.