Doctors may be scarce in Canada, but there’s no shortage of unsolicited medical advice online.
Driving the news: With more than 6.5 million Canadian adults currently without regular access to a medical professional, a new survey from the Canadian Medical Association found over a third of the population is getting medical advice online, including social media.
Why it matters: As doctors, nurses, and therapists increasingly turn to social media content to connect with more patients, it’s not all half-baked health hacks and misinformation — the rise in online health content has made high-quality info more accessible in some cases.
- Recent viral wellness trends like meal prepping, cozy cardio, and hot girl walks have helped popularize lifestyle choices that could actually improve health outcomes.
- The World Health Organization even partnered with TikTok for 2025 to help counter misinformation and provide users with reliable, science-based health information.
Yes, but: There continue to be misdiagnoses for serious medical conditions that would be better cared for by a doctor. Almost a quarter of Canadians say following health advice they found online resulted in either a bad reaction or had a negative impact on their health.—LA