In 2022 lawmakers in the U.S. state of California passed legislation which empowered the state medical board to discipline doctors in the state who “disseminate misinformation or disinformation” that contradicts the “contemporary scientific consensus” or is “contrary to the standard of care.” Proponents of the law argue that doctors should be punished for spreading misinformation and that there is clear consensus on certain issues such as that apples contain sugar, measles is caused by a virus, and Down syndrome is caused by a chromosomal abnormality. Opponents argue that the law limits freedom of speech and scientific “consensus” often changes within mere months.
47% Yes |
53% No |
42% Yes |
32% No |
4% Yes, this will decrease the amount of misinformation patients receive |
12% No, but the doctors should be required to disclose that the advice contradicts contemporary scientific consensus |
1% Yes, and the doctors should also lose their medical license |
6% No, only when the advice was proven to harm the patient |
2% No, scientific consensus can quickly change and patients should be allowed to try unconventional ideas |
See how support for each position on “Medical Consensus” has changed over time for 6.3k New Zealand voters.
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See how importance of “Medical Consensus” has changed over time for 6.3k New Zealand voters.
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Unique answers from New Zealand users whose views extended beyond the provided choices.
@9FZ3ZJH7mos7MO
No, but doctors should inform patients it contradicts consensus, but there should be consequences if it's proven harmful (combo of two)
@9FWVPBS7mos7MO
Disciplinary processes should remain in the hands of professional bodies - and yes, of course patients should know that the advice is inconsistent with current science.
@9FV9PNR7mos7MO
covid advice was misinformation, and bad science based on cooperate greed and gain. doctors lost license by saying not to get the shot which is 100% understandable
@9FTJZG37mos7MO
Doctors should be trained more holistically and refer patients to other practitioners if they don’t know what is going on
@9DYWX488mos8MO
The issue is so called contemporary scientific consensus is not science. Science is about asking questions & experimenting CONTINUOSLY. CONSENSUS is pseudo-science, so NO
@9DVZLJ38mos8MO
This should be determined on a case-by-case basis
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