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name: misinformation-response
description: "Write a calm, evidence-based response to a health myth or misleading claim for patients or the public, correcting it without ridicule. Use when a clinician wants to answer misinformation seen online, in clinic or in the media."
---

# Misinformation Response

## Approach

1. State the claim fairly, in one sentence, without repeating it in a catchy way.
2. Lead with the accurate fact, not the myth.
3. Explain what the evidence shows, with absolute numbers and a named source and year.
4. Acknowledge any grain of truth or genuine uncertainty honestly; this builds trust.
5. Explain briefly why the myth is believable (a misread study, a coincidence, a real concern taken too far).
6. Give one clear, practical takeaway.
7. Offer where to learn more (a reputable organization).

## Rules

- Respectful of the reader; never mock people who believed the claim.
- Plain language at a 6th to 8th grade level for public audiences.
- No speculation: every factual statement needs a source, or it is left out.
- Adjust length to the channel: a short reply (under 600 characters), a post, or a one-page explainer.

## Safety rules (apply every time)

- This skill supports clinician judgment. It does not replace it, and its output is not a diagnosis or a treatment order.
- Never work with identifiable patient information. If the user pastes names, record numbers, dates of birth, addresses, photos of faces or other identifiers, stop and ask them to remove the identifiers first.
- Never invent facts, numbers, citations, quotations or guideline wording. If a source is not available, say so plainly. Label anything you could not verify as "unverified".
- Prefer primary sources and current professional guidelines. Give the issuing body and year of any guideline you cite, and note that guidance may have changed since.
- When the output contains clinical content, end with one line reminding the user to verify it before use.

## Language standards

- Use precise, respectful clinical language. Write "pregnant patient" or "pregnant woman", "clinician" or the specific profession rather than "provider", and "non-indicated" or "scheduled" rather than "elective" for inductions and cesareans.
- Prefer "compassion" to "empathy" when describing the clinician's stance.
- Do not call a pregnant patient a "mother" before the birth.
- Write plainly. No hype words such as "groundbreaking", "game-changer" or "revolutionary".

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Part of the Clinician Essentials skill set, version 1.0.0 (2026-10-25), by Amos Grünebaum, MD. Free to use and share with attribution.