BOSTON — A new survey from Inlightened indicates that healthcare professionals are increasingly alarmed by the rise of online medical misinformation, warning that emerging AI tools may make the problem significantly worse in the coming year. The tech-enabled insights platform, which connects companies with vetted healthcare experts, said its findings reflect broad concern among key opinion leaders about how misinformation is shaping patient behavior and eroding trust in evidence-based medicine.
According to the survey, 61 percent of respondents said they are concerned “a great deal” about healthcare-related misinformation circulating online. Seventy-nine percent said false claims lead to acceptance or use of potentially harmful and unproven treatments, while 78 percent reported that misinformation contributes to a loss of trust in proven, science-backed therapies.
More than half of respondents said patients “always” or “usually” arrive with information sourced from social media, but one third of providers described that information as “rarely” helpful in guiding treatment.
“We started Inlightened because we saw a need for responsible disruption in healthcare, and the significant role qualified professionals played in driving that disruption,” said Shelli Pavone, president and co-founder of Inlightened. “The findings of this survey highlight the critical moment we are in as an industry and a nation, and the need to lean on those experts to not only shine a light on the truth, but serve as a beacon in the dark.”
As new tools such as large language models and AI-generated video applications emerge, Pavone said their ability to rapidly spread inaccurate or misleading content heightens the importance of expert engagement.
The survey also explored how healthcare professionals view their own role in addressing misinformation. One quarter of respondents said experts have a clear responsibility to engage online, while 60 percent agreed but described the issue as “complicated.” Fifty-four percent reported sharing healthcare-related research or information on social media, though many cited barriers to engagement, including lack of platform use, concerns about personal or family safety, and skepticism about whether the benefits outweigh the risks.
Three in ten respondents said they have entered discussions or disagreements online with unqualified influencers who shared misinformation. When asked what would make it easier to share trustworthy content, 53 percent pointed to an assistant that could help with initial content creation, planning and posting.
“Everything is moving so quickly that it can feel impossible to keep up,” said Maryanne Senna, Director of the Lahey Hair Loss Center of Excellence and Research Unit at Beth Israel Lahey Health. She noted that clinicians are already encountering misleading AI-generated content claiming health benefits that are not supported by evidence. “At some point in the very near future, we could get to a place where truth is no longer a North Star, and that, as clinicians, our job will simply be fighting false information,” she said.
Respondents also identified several steps that could help rebuild trust in medical information. Seventy percent called for more scientific and medical voices on platforms popular with younger audiences, such as TikTok and YouTube. Sixty-nine percent said expanded access to evidence-based information would help, while 57 percent supported stronger public backing of medical and scientific institutions by federal leaders. Nearly half said reducing access to online misinformation is also essential.
“Personally, my biggest concern is the use of generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT) for therapy/information,” said Dustin Nisley, LCSW, owner and clinical director at Mindful Horizons Counseling, PLLC. “With so little oversight or regulation, people could act on incorrect or damaging information that causes real harm.”
The survey was sent to a randomized sample of Inlightened’s clinician experts and received 77 responses between October 2 and October 21, 2025.
