ASHEVILLE, NC — TikTok, typical of several forms of social media, has been intentionally repositioned to rival Google as a primary source of information, meaning that healthcare professionals, including those who provide dermatologic care to children, should be thinking about how to get on board to counter myths, erroneous facts, and fake news, warned an expert at the Society for Pediatric Dermatology (SPD) 2023 Annual Meeting.
"If we don't get involved, we are basically letting misinformation win. We need to be there," said Angelo Landriscina, MD, director of dermatology at a Mount Sinai Doctors Clinic in Brooklyn, New York.
Most of the content currently available on medical topics, including dermatology and pediatric dermatology, is not created by healthcare professionals, Landriscina noted. Not surprisingly, given that much of the content is based on personal opinion from individuals who have no expertise in medical care, he described the information as being of "low quality" when not fully erroneous.
Landriscina has been active on social media, including TikTok, for several years. Most of his posts involve responses to misinformation. When he sets the record straight on the basis of existing evidence, he often supports his counterargument with references.
He acknowledged that when he became involved in social media, he faced criticism from colleagues about participating on an entertainment platform that many considered unworthy of providing objective information.
