The impact of social media health information on general practice consultations in Australia: A cross-sectional study of general practitioners.

Australian Journal of General Practice

Brooke Nickel,   Henry Flint,  Joan Henderson,   Vanessa Kumar,   Christopher Harrison,   Ramesh Manocha,   Julie Gordon,   Marguerite Tracy  

Most Australian GPs say patients regularly bring health information from social media into appointments, often asking for specific medications or tests based on what they’ve seen online. Nearly 85% of GPs said patients raise social‑media‑based health ideas, and most said it happens at least once a week. The most common requests were for specific medications (72%) and for investigations into particular diagnoses (56.5%), often based on posts from influencers, companies, or online support groups.

GPs report that much of this information is inaccurate or not evidence‑based, which can lead to unnecessary investigations or treatments. Younger GPs are more likely to feel that social media harms trust or makes patients less willing to follow medical advice, though many GPs say it doesn’t affect the relationship at all. Overall, social media is clearly shaping patient expectations, and GPs need support to address misinformation while maintaining trust.