Patient autonomy in decision-making is more than individual belief: Understanding why health misinformation and conspiracy theories are so appealing

We live in a world filled with more information that is easier to access than ever before. Over 20 years ago, approximately 5% of all online searches related to health or medical information [1]. More recently in 2017, nearly 75% of Americans used the internet as their primary source for medical and health information [2], and approximately 50% of Australian emergency department patients went online to search for health-related information [3]. In Patient Education and Counselling, Rubinelli [4] offers a thoughtful discussion piece that considers the risk to patient autonomy in an online world filled with health (mis)information.