Guardians of the digital world: The family physician’s role in quinary prevention
23 Aug 2026
Mark Louie C. Mann,* MD, FPSP, FPSA, DPCOM, CPC-FP
(Editor's note: this article appeared in the 1st issue of MIMS Doctor magazine, 2026, in partnership with the Philippine Academy of Family Physicians, Inc. [PAFP].)
In the infodemic era, the rapid spread of health-related misinformation has become as dangerous as the pathogens we treat. As frontline healthcare providers, family physicians are uniquely positioned to serve as navigators in this chaotic digital landscape, evolving from traditional clinical roles into active defenders of information hygiene, which consists of responsible habits of consuming, evaluating, and sharing information.
Fake news and quackery: Threats
The digital world has facilitated the spread of false health information through social media, messaging apps, and deceptive marketing. This environment allows quack medicine to thrive, where unqualified individuals promote unproven practices for financial gain.
These digital threats lead to consequences
• Health risks: Misinformation causes treatment delays, drug resistance, poisoning, and even increased mortality.
• Economic loss: Victims often waste limited financial resources on ineffective or harmful miracle cures.
• Erosion of trust: The prevalence of fake health news undermines public confidence in the medical profession and the entire healthcare system.
Understanding quinary prevention (QP)
While traditional prevention focuses on biological and clinical risks, QP is a set of policies, actions, and measures aimed at reducing the risks associated with disseminating inappropriate health information and minimizing the impact of misinformation on disease progression.
By adding this fifth layer to our practice, we address the issues of our patients’ information hygiene, helping them distinguish between evidence-based medicine and digital charlatanism. QP overlaps with all other levels; if applied correctly, it makes primary through quaternary steps more effective by ensuring patients follow accurate advice rather than popular myths.
The Filipino family physician’s role
Filipinos are highly engaged with social media, making the local context particularly sensitive to digital health trends. As members of the PhilippineAcademy of Family Physicians (PAFP),we have a moral and professional mandate to safeguard our communities.
Our role involves:
• Translating evidence: Making scientific data accessible for our patients
• Digital content as prevention: An example of QP is the creation of verified digital content. My video Skincare na Regla Totoo ba? (see Figure) serves as a QP tool by directly addressing misconceptions about menstruation before patients seek unverified remedies online.
• Providing context: Utilizing the long-term trust built through repeated clinical contacts to debunk myths tailored to a patient’s specific culture and situation.
Challenges and the way forward
Implementing QP is not without obstacles. Family physicians face significant time constraints and a constant influx of conflicting guidelines. Furthermore, “threat modeling” for misinformation, a cybersecurity-style framework to help identify, analyze, and mitigate the spread of false content, is still an emerging field, leaving us to fight evolving digital narratives without enough formal tools.
Strategies for the PAFP community
1. Educate for literacy: Develop the public’s health literacy so they can critically assess digital content.
2. Collaborate with legislators: Advocate for stricter regulations on health-related disinformation.
3. Proportionate universalism: Invest extra effort in supporting socially disadvantaged patients who may have higher health risks and less access tovalid information.
4. Active reporting: Healthcare providers should report sources of false information to the authorities.
A call to vigilance
As guardians of the digital world, we must advocate for a cautious approach to information consumption. We encourage patients, families, and communitiesto always verify digital healthclaims with their family physician. Byprioritizing information hygiene and evidence-based prevention, we can protect our patients from the silent harms of the digital age.
*Prefect of Student Organization, Chair of Medical Histology, San Beda University College of Medicine; Past Chief Resident, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Sta. Ana Hospital; President, PAFP Resident’s Organization; Immediate Past President, Philippine Society of Physiologists; Secretary, PAFP Manila Chapter
References: 1. Amir-Azodi, A., Setayesh, M., Bazyar, M., Ansari, M., &Yazdi-Feyzabadi, V. (2024). Causes and consequences of quack medicine in health care: A scoping review of global experience. BMC Health Serv Res. 2024 Jan 11;24:64. doi: 10.1186/s12913-023-10520-9. 2. Piessens,V., Rodriguez Benito, L., Öztora, S., Martins, C., & Brodersen, J. B. (2025).Seven ways to optimise prevention in general practice and family medicine- a EUROPREV position paper to spark debate on prevention. Eur J Gen Pract. 2025 Dec;31(1):2531880. doi: 10.1080/13814788.2025.2531880.Epub 2025 Jul 23. 3. Şimşek, E., & Dağcıoğlu, B. F. (2023). A new concept in protective healthcare: Quinary prevention. Ankara Med J. 2023;23(1):137-150. doi:10.5505/amj.2023.37431. 4. Mann, M. L. (2025, ).Skincarena Regla Totoo Ba?[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhdXTpYSKsM
(Editor's note: this article appeared in the 1st issue of MIMS Doctor magazine, 2026, in partnership with the Philippine Academy of Family Physicians, Inc. [PAFP].)
In the infodemic era, the rapid spread of health-related misinformation has become as dangerous as the pathogens we treat. As frontline healthcare providers, family physicians are uniquely positioned to serve as navigators in this chaotic digital landscape, evolving from traditional clinical roles into active defenders of information hygiene, which consists of responsible habits of consuming, evaluating, and sharing information.
Fake news and quackery: Threats
The digital world has facilitated the spread of false health information through social media, messaging apps, and deceptive marketing. This environment allows quack medicine to thrive, where unqualified individuals promote unproven practices for financial gain.
These digital threats lead to consequences
• Health risks: Misinformation causes treatment delays, drug resistance, poisoning, and even increased mortality.
• Economic loss: Victims often waste limited financial resources on ineffective or harmful miracle cures.
• Erosion of trust: The prevalence of fake health news undermines public confidence in the medical profession and the entire healthcare system.
Understanding quinary prevention (QP)
While traditional prevention focuses on biological and clinical risks, QP is a set of policies, actions, and measures aimed at reducing the risks associated with disseminating inappropriate health information and minimizing the impact of misinformation on disease progression.
By adding this fifth layer to our practice, we address the issues of our patients’ information hygiene, helping them distinguish between evidence-based medicine and digital charlatanism. QP overlaps with all other levels; if applied correctly, it makes primary through quaternary steps more effective by ensuring patients follow accurate advice rather than popular myths.
The Filipino family physician’s role
Filipinos are highly engaged with social media, making the local context particularly sensitive to digital health trends. As members of the PhilippineAcademy of Family Physicians (PAFP),we have a moral and professional mandate to safeguard our communities.
Our role involves:
• Translating evidence: Making scientific data accessible for our patients
• Digital content as prevention: An example of QP is the creation of verified digital content. My video Skincare na Regla Totoo ba? (see Figure) serves as a QP tool by directly addressing misconceptions about menstruation before patients seek unverified remedies online.
• Providing context: Utilizing the long-term trust built through repeated clinical contacts to debunk myths tailored to a patient’s specific culture and situation.
Challenges and the way forward
Implementing QP is not without obstacles. Family physicians face significant time constraints and a constant influx of conflicting guidelines. Furthermore, “threat modeling” for misinformation, a cybersecurity-style framework to help identify, analyze, and mitigate the spread of false content, is still an emerging field, leaving us to fight evolving digital narratives without enough formal tools.
Strategies for the PAFP community
1. Educate for literacy: Develop the public’s health literacy so they can critically assess digital content.
2. Collaborate with legislators: Advocate for stricter regulations on health-related disinformation.
3. Proportionate universalism: Invest extra effort in supporting socially disadvantaged patients who may have higher health risks and less access tovalid information.
4. Active reporting: Healthcare providers should report sources of false information to the authorities.
A call to vigilance
As guardians of the digital world, we must advocate for a cautious approach to information consumption. We encourage patients, families, and communitiesto always verify digital healthclaims with their family physician. Byprioritizing information hygiene and evidence-based prevention, we can protect our patients from the silent harms of the digital age.
*Prefect of Student Organization, Chair of Medical Histology, San Beda University College of Medicine; Past Chief Resident, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Sta. Ana Hospital; President, PAFP Resident’s Organization; Immediate Past President, Philippine Society of Physiologists; Secretary, PAFP Manila Chapter
References: 1. Amir-Azodi, A., Setayesh, M., Bazyar, M., Ansari, M., &Yazdi-Feyzabadi, V. (2024). Causes and consequences of quack medicine in health care: A scoping review of global experience. BMC Health Serv Res. 2024 Jan 11;24:64. doi: 10.1186/s12913-023-10520-9. 2. Piessens,V., Rodriguez Benito, L., Öztora, S., Martins, C., & Brodersen, J. B. (2025).Seven ways to optimise prevention in general practice and family medicine- a EUROPREV position paper to spark debate on prevention. Eur J Gen Pract. 2025 Dec;31(1):2531880. doi: 10.1080/13814788.2025.2531880.Epub 2025 Jul 23. 3. Şimşek, E., & Dağcıoğlu, B. F. (2023). A new concept in protective healthcare: Quinary prevention. Ankara Med J. 2023;23(1):137-150. doi:10.5505/amj.2023.37431. 4. Mann, M. L. (2025, ).Skincarena Regla Totoo Ba?[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhdXTpYSKsM