The questions posed are numerous and myths abound. The propagation of online disinformation is extensive and widespread. This is the moment when your friendly neighbourhood doctor takes on an entirely new role, appearing as a social media influencer.
Who among us has not come across figures like The Liver Doctor, Dr Cuterus, Faheem Younus, Dr Arif Hussain Theruvath, Dr Jonathan Stea, or Doctor Mike?
In addition to their usual roles in white coats and with stethoscopes, these doctors use their mobile devices to combat the significant problem of the "infodemic," characterized by the deluge of health-related misinformation. They have become well-known names, even mini-celebrities, with millions of followers on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube.
Nevertheless, these influencers who are also doctors sometimes pay a heavy price for fulfilling their mission. One doctor-influencer has faced legal action from pharmaceutical companies, another has received death threats, and yet another has been subjected to doxxing.
Let's take a closer look at the lives of these doctor-influencers, why they do what they do, and the risks they face.
HOW THEY INITIATED
These doctor-influencers come from various medical backgrounds. Some are hepatologists, gynaecologists, and medical experts, while others have backgrounds in psychology and homoeopathy. Their individual reasons for engaging in online health information fact-checking and sharing well-researched content also differ.
For instance, in 2019, Dr Abby Philips began his journey as a myth-buster on Twitter, with a focus on educating people about the risks associated with alternative and herbal medicines. He has now gained fame as "TheLiverDoc" and has amassed a following of two lakh users on Twitter alone.
Dr. Abby Philips, also known as The LiverDoc, shares, "My work gained traction because of one of my first viral tweets. It was about the case of a 14-year-old schoolgirl who presented with severe alcohol-associated liver injury without consuming even an ounce of alcohol. This was one of the toughest cases I had to deal with."
