VIDEO: ‘You can make a big impact,’ tackle medical misinformation with social media
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In a Healio video exclusive, Wendi LeBrett, MD, winner of the 2023 Healio Social Media Influencer Award, discusses how she uses social media, namely TikTok, to address misleading or inaccurate information about gastrointestinal diseases.
“Part of my inspiration for doing this was to correct medical misinformation online,” LeBrett, a third-year GI fellow at UCLA Health, told Healio. “There are a lot of pseudo-health experts online who post incorrect information that is harmful and dangerous to patients. I was inspired to try to be a voice that uses scientific evidence-based research to share more information about digestive health and gut health.”
Under the TikTok screen name @socalgastrodoc, LeBrett has been active on social media for about a year, amassing nearly 95,000 followers and creating videos that highlight questions or concerns from patients. She educates herself on all topics before posting.
“Being on social media has made me a much better physician,” LeBrett said. “It connects me to what patients are thinking or worried about.”
LeBrett encourages other physicians to join social media, although she warns that “there are always people who disagree with you,” so thick skin is a must.
“I think you can make a big impact as a health care provider to be active on social media,” she said. “It’s also a great way to network professionally. There is a good community of physicians on social media, especially GI doctors. I’ve made a lot of connections and friends who I hope to work with and collaborate with in the future.”
The 2024 Healio Social Media Influencer Award winner will be announced in October during the Healio Disruptive Innovators ceremony at the AGA annual meeting in Philadelphia.
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