TY  - JOUR
AU  - Wilhelm, Elisabeth
AU  - Vivilaki, Victoria
AU  - Calleja-Agius, Jean
AU  - Petelos, Elena
AU  - Tzeli, Maria
AU  - Giaxi, Paraskevi
AU  - Triantiafyllou, Elena
AU  - Asimaki, Eleni
AU  - Alevizou, Faye
AU  - Purnat, Tina D
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/2/25
TI  - Effects of the Modern Digital Information Environment on Maternal Health Care Professionals, the Role of Midwives, and the People in Their Care: Scoping Review
JO  - J Med Internet Res
SP  - e70108
VL  - 27
KW  - digital health
KW  - midwifery
KW  - misinformation
KW  - information-seeking midwifery
KW  - health information seeking
KW  - social media
KW  - medical misinformation
AB  - Background: The digital information environment poses challenges for pregnant women and other people seeking care, as well as for their midwives and other health care professionals (HCPs). They can encounter questions, concerns, information gaps, and misinformation, which can influence health care decisions. Objective: This scoping review examines how HCPs are affected by the modern digital information environment including health misinformation, its effects on the women and people they care for, and its implications for care provision. Methods: English-language peer-reviewed literature, published from January 1, 2020, to May 31, 2024, with keywords related to midwifery, misinformation, and health equity collected and analyzed by a team of midwives and maternal care professionals and mapped onto a patient-centered conceptual model. Results: A total of 105 studies were ultimately included. Further, 95 papers identified specific digital information environment issues that affected clients; 58 specifically highlighted digital information environment issues impacting HCPs; 91 papers identified specific topics of common questions, concerns, misinformation, information voids, or narratives; 57 papers identified patient or population vulnerability; and 75 included mentions of solutions or recommendations for addressing a digital information environment issue around clients seeking care from midwives and other HCPs. When mapped onto the Journey to Health model, the most prominent barrier was access to care and information. Individual-level issues dominate the step related to knowledge, awareness, and belief, with more social norms and wider engagement appearing at steps related to intent. Client-specific themes dominate the left-hand side of the model and provider-specific issues dominate the right-hand side of the model. Conclusions: Misinformation, information voids, unaddressed questions and concerns, and lack of access to high-quality health information are worldwide prevalent barriers that affect both patients and HCPs. We identified individual, provider-level, health systems, and societal-level strategies that can be used to promote healthier digital information environments. 
SN  - 1438-8871
UR  - https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e70108
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/70108
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39998875
DO  - 10.2196/70108
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/70108
ER  -