Beware Social Media Posts Promoting Medical Tests, Potential for Overdiagnosis
April 30, 2025 5 minutes read
By Ellen Feldman, MD
Synopsis: An analysis of widely viewed social media posts about five medical tests — full body magnetic resonance imaging, multicancer early detection, anti-Müllerian hormone, gut microbiome, and testosterone tests — found that 87.1% of the posts promoted benefits, while just 14.7% acknowledged potential harms and only 6.1% raised concerns about overuse or overdiagnosis.
Source: Nickel B, Moynihan R, Gram EG, et al. Social media posts about medical tests with potential for overdiagnosis. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(2):e2461940.
As frontline healthcare professionals, the primary care practitioner (PCP) often plays a central role in guiding patients through the complexities of medical testing, promoting decision-making grounded in evidence-based medicine.
However, in today’s digital world, patients increasingly are turning to social media for health information, where medical tests are marketed directly to consumers.1 An understanding of the narratives circulating online can assist the PCP in helping patients make fully informed healthcare choices.
The allure of early detection and personalized health insights has led to a surge in direct-to-consumer medical tests. Specifically, tests such as full-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, multicancer early detection (MCED), anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) tests, testosterone level assessments, and gut microbiome analysis often are marketed as proactive health measures.1,2 However, the clinical utility of these tests in asymptomatic, healthy individuals is questionable. For example, full-body MRIs can detect incidental findings that may never cause harm but lead to further invasive procedures and anxiety.1-3
With a goal of understanding the portrayal of these tests on social media, Nickel et al conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 982 English-language posts from Instagram and TikTok, each discussing at least one of these five medical tests. Inclusion criteria permitted only “influential accounts” — defined for the study as accounts having at least 1,000 followers. The collective following exceeded 194 million users. Notably, 15.9% of the posts were from physician influencers.
Key findings included:
- Promotional tone and emphasis on benefits: A significant majority (87.1%) of the analyzed posts highlighted the benefits of the medical test; 83.8% adopted a clearly promotional tone. More than half (50.7%) explicitly encouraged viewers to undergo the tests without considering medical need.
- Financial benefit: 68% of the account holders had financial interest related to the tests they promoted.
- Potential harm of tests: Fewer than 15% of posts mentioned any potential harm, and only 6% discussed issues relating to overdiagnosis or overuse.
- Emotional appeal: Many posts employed emotional narratives — for example, “You DESERVE to be healthy. It is your BIRTHRIGHT.”
- Medical professional involvement: Posts from medical doctors were more likely to mention potential harms (odds ratio, 4.49; confidence interval [CI], 2.85-7.06) and less likely to adopt a promotional tone (odds ratio, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.35-0.800) compared to the overall group.
Commentary
In the digital age, patients increasingly are turning to social media for information, including about their health.1,2 Some recent studies have suggested that the proliferation of online platforms and social media influencers has the potential of significantly eroding patient trust in PCPs.4 This study by Nickel et al highlights the promotional tactics used on platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok, to market medical tests directly to consumers.
When patients prioritize information from influencers over evidence-based medical guidance, it can lead to misinformation and hesitancy toward professional healthcare recommendations. This shift underscores the need for PCPs to actively engage with patients about the sources of their health information and address any misconceptions.
The observation that a substantial number of social media posts emphasize the benefit of certain medical tests without discussing potential harms, coupled with undisclosed financial incentives behind these promotions, raises significant ethical concerns regarding transparency and consumer protection. Such practices can mislead individuals into undergoing unnecessary medical tests, leading to overdiagnosis. Overdiagnosis may result in further unnecessary testing and treatments, increasing the risk of adverse side effects, inducing anxiety, and imposing financial burdens on patients.5,6
However, it is important to note that, while this study clearly reveals a biased slant of influential social media posts regarding these tests, Nickel et al did not track patient behavior post-exposure. Further research is important to establish a direct causal relationship between exposure to such content and subsequent medical decision.
While waiting for these findings, there are steps the PCP can take to help patients evaluate content of medical posts:
- Patient education: Educate patients about the limitations and potential risks of direct-to-consumer medical tests. Effective patient education has been shown to enhance informed decision-making and improve health outcomes. There is a strong body of evidence that patient education enables individuals to make rational health choices and serves to strengthen the patient-physician alliance.7
- Critical appraisal skills: Encourage patients to critically evaluate health information found on social media. Interestingly, it can be useful for the PCP to brush up on their own critical appraisal skills; a systematic review published in BMC Medical Education found that teaching clinical appraisal to healthcare professionals improves patient outcomes resulting from clinical management, compared to patients receiving care from those without such training.8,9
- Open communication: Create an environment where patients feel comfortable discussing information they have encountered online and actively promote collaborative decision-making. Address misconceptions and provide evidence-based counterpoints to mitigate the influence of misleading promotions.
This study serves as a critical reminder of the challenges posed by the intersection of healthcare and social media. As medical professionals, we are in a key position to guide our patients through the noise, helping them to navigate health information with a discerning eye. By fostering open dialogue, promoting health literacy, and advocating for responsible communication, we can help to mitigate the risks associated with overdiagnosis and ensure that patient care remains patient-centered and evidence-based.
Ellen Feldman, MD, works for Altru Health System, Grand Forks, ND.
References
- Chen J, Wang Y. Social media use for health purposes: Systematic review. J Med Internet Res. 202123(5):e17917.
- Fischer K. 5 popular medical tests you see on social media —and whether you really need them. Published March 14, 2025. https://www.health.com/5-medical-tests-popular-online-11690961
- Kwee RM, Kwee TC. Whole-body MRI for preventive health screening: A systematic review of the literature. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2019;50(5):1489-1503.
- Kaňková J, Binder A, Matthes J. Helpful or harmful? Navigating the impact of social media influencers’ health advice: Insights from health expert content creators. BMC Public Health. 2024;24(1):3511
- Singh H, Dickinson JA, Thériault G, et al. Overdiagnosis: Causes and consequences in primary health care. Can Fam Physician. 2018;64(9):654-659.
- Thériault G, Grad R, Dickinson JA, et al. Beware of overdiagnosis harms from screening, lower diagnostic thresholds, and incidentalomas. Can Fam Physician. 2023;69(2):97-100.
- Bhattad PB, Pacifico L. Empowering patients: Promoting patient education and health literacy. Cureus. 2022;14(7):e27336.
- Hecht L, Buhse S, Meyer G. Effectiveness of training in evidence-based medicine skills for healthcare professionals: A systematic review. BMC Med Educ. 2016;16:103.
- Connor L, Dean J, McNett M, et al. Evidence-based practice improves patient outcomes and healthcare system return on investment: Findings from a scoping review. Worldviews Evid Based Nurs. 2023;20(1):6-15.
An analysis of widely viewed social media posts about five medical tests — full body magnetic resonance imaging, multicancer early detection, anti-Müllerian hormone, gut microbiome, and testosterone tests — found that 87.1% of the posts promoted benefits, while just 14.7% acknowledged potential harms and only 6.1% raised concerns about overuse or overdiagnosis.
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