Conference Program

The proposed presentation will focus on the methodological design and evaluation results of the CIVIS Open Lab “Health Misinformation Project”, implemented by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Sapienza University of Rome and the University of Bucharest with several local partners. Within the CIVIS Open Lab framework, the project was conceived as an interdisciplinary, co‑created pathway linking universities and communities to address the spread of online health misinformation and its impact on different target groups (World Health Organization, 2020). Methodologically, the project combined service‑learning, participatory research and mixed‑methods evaluation (Mihailidis & Viotty, 2017). A first work package engaged university students from health sciences, media/communication and technology in systematic literature reviews on health misinformation, guided by shared protocols for database search, inclusion/exclusion criteria and thematic coding informed by established reporting standards (Page et al., 2021). In parallel, structured needs‑assessment tools (questionnaires and short interview grids) were designed to explore health information practices, perceived source reliability and typical misconceptions among school students, young immigrants and chronic patients in partner organisations, addressing gaps in behavioural and context‑sensitive data on misinformation (Vosoughi et al., 2018). The training phase was organised through co‑designed workshops and seminars, combining short lectures, guided analysis of real online health content, small‑group source‑checking exercises and collaborative tasks (drafting guidelines, scripting podcasts, sketching app and game functionalities) (Jones‑Jang et al., 2021). To monitor learning outcomes, pre/post questionnaires were administered, concentrating on three indicators: self‑reported health and digital literacy; confidence in assessing the credibility of online health information; and declared intentions and behaviours regarding the sharing or contestation of dubious content. Qualitative feedback was collected via brief reflective forms and group discussions, allowing triangulation of quantitative trends with participants’ narratives.

The presentation will highlight key empirical results emerging from this methodology. The data suggest that the combination of service‑learning, co‑creation of digital tools (website, guidebook, prototypes of app and game) and systematic evaluation can strengthen critical competences in diverse community settings and support more resilient information ecosystems (Isaakidou et al., 2025; World Health Organization, 2020). The contribution will also reflect on the strengths and limits of the adopted instruments, propose refinements of the evaluation framework and outline how this approach can be replicated or scaled up in future European initiatives. A specific focus will be devoted to the application of this framework in contexts of educational poverty, particularly those reached through organisations belonging to the Forum del Sostegno a Distanza, where risks of informational inequalities are especially acute (Livingstone & Helsper, 2007). In these settings, where access to reliable health information is often fragmented and mediated by informal channels, narrative outputs such as short, multilingual podcasts have proved especially effective (Gavrila & Pranovi, 2022). By adopting accessible storytelling formats, rooted in everyday experiences and co‑constructed with local educators, these podcasts have functioned as empowering tools for socially, culturally and economically vulnerable groups, turning media and health literacy from a perceived “deficit” into a space of recognition, voice and agency in the face of health misinformation (Couldry et al., 2010).