New Survey Finds Healthcare Experts Fear AI Is the Next Frontier of Online Misinformation

Insights from Inlightened’s leading healthcare professionals reveal 6 out of 10 report “a great deal” of concern about healthcare-related misinformation online

The survey finds 76% anticipate medical misinformation will become an even bigger problem over the next 12 months

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Inlightened, a tech-enabled insights platform that connects innovative client companies to a network of vetted healthcare professionals (HCPs), today announced the findings of a survey to measure experts’ feelings about the impact of online influence and mis/disinformation. The results reveal that key opinion leaders are not only worried about the impact of online medical misinformation for patients and consumers today, but anticipate that it will get worse over the next year.

Key findings:

• 61% of respondents report they are concerned “a great deal” about healthcare-related misinformation
• When asked about the impact of online medical misinformation for patients/consumers:
  • 79% said “an acceptance and/or use of potentially harmful and unproven treatments”
  • 78% said “a loss of trust in science-backed, proven treatments”
• More than half (53%) report that patients “always” or “usually” come to them with information they have seen or read on social media
  • 1 out of 3 report that information is “rarely” helpful to the discussion and/or 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 at 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, like LLMs and AI-generated video apps, spin up – and the ability for social media to widely share content – the role of those experts will be more important than ever.”

The role of healthcare experts in combatting misinformation

While 1 out of 4 respondents believe vetted healthcare experts have a responsibility to engage online to combat misinformation, 60% responded: “yes, but it’s complicated.”

• 54% report that they have shared healthcare-related research or information on social media
• The reasons those who have not shared healthcare-related information online include:
  • 53% don’t use social media
  • 44% don’t believe the rewards outweigh the risks
  • 32% worry about their – and their family’s – safety
• 3 out of 10 report they have gotten into a discussion (or disagreement) online with an unqualified influencer who posted misinformation or information
• When asked what would make it easier for respondents to share trustworthy healthcare-related information online, the top response (53%) was: “An assistant that could help get me started and with content planning and posting.”

“Everything is moving so quickly that it can feel impossible to keep up,” said Maryanne Senna, Director of Lahey Hair Loss Center of Excellence and Research Unit at Beth Israel Lahey Health. “Very quickly after the launch of the Sora app, for example, we started seeing videos that made ridiculous claims, like deep-fried chicken is good for your health. While that particular claim may seem relatively harmless, the opportunity for these kinds of tools to enable people to create and share harmful – but credible-looking – information is vast, and largely unchecked. Personally, I hear a lot about unproven trends, like supplements and procedures, that promise big results but deliver nothing. 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.”

The path to improving trust

The findings not only highlight the challenge and risks online mis/disinformation pose, but the opportunities to address this growing problem.

When asked what they think could improve trust, respondents replied:

• 70%: “More scientific and medical voices in places where digital natives are (e.g., TikTok, YouTube)”
• 69%: “More access to evidence-based information”
• 57%: “High-level officials, e.g., in the federal government, publicly supporting the medical and scientific communities”
• 48%: “Less access to mis/disinformation online”

“Personally, my biggest concern is the use of generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT) for therapy/information,” said Dustin Nisley, LCSW, owner/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. At this moment, it’s so important that we continue to have conversations that illuminate the potential harm – and elevate experts and trusted industry voices – in order to get back to a place of data- and- science-backed decision making.”

Survey Methodology

Inlightened sent the online survey to a randomized sample of its clinician experts and received 77 responses between October 2 and October 21, 2025.

Full report here.

About Inlightened

Inlightened is the go-to SaaS platform for healthcare innovation. We connect client organizations to on-demand insights, via an unparalleled network of curated, vetted, and engaged experts. In addition to being recognized among Forbes’ Inaugural Next 1000, Inlightened has been featured in Crunchbase, Forbes, and MedCity News. We were acquired by LocumTenens.com, part of the Jackson Healthcare® family of companies, in August of 2023, and continue to operate as an independent entity.

Learn more at www.getinlightened.com.