Doctors of TikTok: experts step online to tackle misinformation

If you’ve ever googled anything health related, chances are you’ve come across misleading or inaccurate information.

A growing number of doctors are stepping into the online space to share their medical expertise and debunk myths and misinformation.

Using video-sharing platforms – TikTok, YouTube and Facebook – their selfie-style videos are calling out content creators spreading harmful falsehoods and refuting them with scientific evidence.

They also create videos in response to comments and questions from viewers, provide interesting medical and health information, and share insights into their working lives.

UK-trained doctor and nutrition specialist Idrees Mughal – known as Dr Idz online – is one the doctors who is directly targeting people spreading health misinformation.

He took up the challenge in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic and now has more than two million followers who tune in to watch him squash false claims with evidence-based research.

As governments, medical associations and health organisations worldwide grapple with the spread of misinformation online, and the subsequent threat to public health and safety, more and more doctors are taking up the challenge to restore faith in the experts.

While they stress their videos are not a substitute for one-on-one medical advice from people’s own doctors, they are providing general health information to counter fiction with facts to help inform and educate the masses.

Here’s a collection of some of the specialist doctors who have built big followings on social media.

DR MICHAEL MROZINSKI
“drmichaelsays”
GP in Australia