Top 10 Healthcare Social Media Influencers to Look Out for in 2024

Understanding How Social Media Influences the Healthcare Industry

Published May 23, 2024 | 10 Minute Read

Social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook have become an integral part of the healthcare landscape, enabling healthcare social media influencers to connect to target patient audiences and improve education, patient care, and outreach. In turn, patients can easily access trustworthy, digestible medical information to answer health-related questions, explore innovative treatments, and learn about symptoms and treatments of certain health conditions. As the impact of influencers in the healthcare industry continues to grow, it’s essential to understand what they do in healthcare marketing and which best practices you can adopt to boost your brand’s authority and reach.

In this blog, we’ll explore how healthcare social media influencers have changed the healthcare industry and look at the top 10 healthcare social media influencers to look out for in 2025.

Key Takeaways

A healthcare influencer is an HCP who uses their robust professional experience to educate, spread awareness, and engage with patients about medical information. Healthcare influencers can also be patients, caregivers, or others who offer product testimonials or speak about their health experiences. Learn more.
Top health influencers are successful because they are transparent, relatable, and share information in an accessible way with authority. Take a look at some top influencers.

What is a Healthcare Influencer?

A healthcare influencer has a prominent social following that uses their professional medical knowledge and/or experience to interact with their digital audiences. Some healthcare influencers are medical professionals like doctors, nurses, or physician assistants, while others are patients or caregivers with a sizable social base. Social influencers develop a paid partnership with healthcare brands to attest to the benefits of specific products and services. These influencers are trustworthy sources of medical information, and/or they can lead patients to credible resources in an engaging, accessible manner. Their messaging is often more casual and feels like a one-on-one conversation instead of highly polished, corporate content.

Healthcare influencer marketing is an excellent tool for educating the public on specific health conditions, endorsing products, promoting organizations and healthcare networks, and gathering insight into target audiences’ health concerns via engagement. Instagram is the most popular platform for influencer marketing. A recent Hubspot survey[1] found that 72% of marketers use Instagram to work with influencers and creators, followed by TikTok at 61%, YouTube at 58%, and Facebook at 57%.

Healthcare influencers can help healthcare brands by:

Creating educational content on health topics
Offering feedback or consulting on marketing materials
Serving as the face of a campaign
Endorsing products with testimonials
Bringing awareness to new treatments or public health concerns
Speaking at events

What Do Health Influencers Do?

Raise Awareness

Health influencers use social media to educate the public about common health conditions, their symptoms, preventive measures, and treatments. They also use social platforms to spread awareness about navigating current public health issues like the COVID-19 pandemic or seasonal health concerns like the flu and RSV. Recent research from the Pew Center[2] found half of Americans consume news on social media at least sometimes, and a significant percentage of Americans under 50 regularly get news from social media. As a reliable source of medical information, healthcare influencers like physicians, physician assistants, and nurses can direct the public to trusted information on health concerns and further resources when necessary.

Combat Misinformation

Social media is rife with misinformation, especially content[3] regarding smoking products, diets, and vaccinations, among other health-related topics. A recent survey[4] showed 62% of participants trust their doctor for most health advice, while 39% used online content instead of seeing their doctor. Healthcare influencers can disseminate information on various health-related subjects to raise awareness, build trust in the medical and pharmaceutical fields, and establish themselves as reliable resources. Posting educational content can help target audiences answer common questions about specific conditions and understand when they need to seek treatment from their HCPs instead of self-diagnosing and/or delaying treatment.

Build Relationships With Patients

HCPs online can create a positive rapport with their target patient base by regularly posting dynamic, thoughtful content and engaging with their audience. Posting educational content, responding to comments, and using audience feedback to curate more niche media can instill more credibility and strengthen the health influencer’s patient following for their practice and/or organization. Social listening on channels like TikTok and Instagram also permits healthcare marketers to respond to critical feedback, highlight important updates or public health information, and manage their brand’s reputation with their patients.

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10 Social Influencers in Healthcare to Look Out for in 2025

1. Dr. Jennifer Arnold

Dr. Jennifer Arnold[5]

Specialty: Neonatology

Dr. Jennifer Arnold[6] is a neonatologist and physician leader at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She has years of professional experience working on simulation techniques to enhance patient care by helping healthcare providers improve communication and minimize errors. Dr. Arnold hosts a pediatric-focused podcast, Boston Children’s Answers, discussing injury prevention with medical experts. She and her family used to be featured on “The Little Couple,” a TLC reality show about their personal lives.

2. Dr. Angela PharmD

Dr. Angela PharmD[7]

Specialty: Pharmaceuticals

Instagram

TikTok

Dr. Angela is a doctor of pharmacy who offers medical advice and suggestions about a wide array of topics such as prescriptions, tips on resolving common ailments like a sore throat, and herbal supplements. She has over 101K followers on Instagram and 604K followers on TikTok.

3. Doctor Sood, M.D.

Dr. Kunal Sood[8]

Specialty: Anesthesiology and Interventional Pain Medicine

Instagram

TikTok

YouTube

Dr. Kunal Sood[9] is the medical director of the National Spine & Pain Centers in Germantown, Maryland, and is double board-certified in Anesthesiology and Interventional Pain Medicine. He is also the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Avenir Nutrition, a nutraceutical company. His content addresses pain management, public health concerns, and health and fitness tops, among other topics, with an accessible, approachable tone. Many of his videos stitch other content creators to validate their experiences regarding pain, especially regarding women’s health. Dr. Sood also provides tips and medical humor for healthcare providers.

4. thatgaydoctor

thatgaydoctor[10]

Specialty: Family Medicine

Instagram

TikTok

Dr. Jon[11], also known by his handle @thatgaydoctor, uses his platform as a family medicine doctor on TikTok and Instagram to advocate for LGBTQ+ medical access, educate patients on common health concerns like STIs, promote queer-friendly healthcare directories like the GLMA’s LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory, and speak about public health matters like universal healthcare. Dr. Jon combines humor and compassion to give voice to serious subject matters and to show that “doctors are people too.”

5. Doctor Mitnaul

Dr. Mitnaul Jr.[12]

Specialty: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Dr. Larry Mitnaul Jr., MD, MPH, MS, MD, MPH, MS,[13] is a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Ascension Medical Group in Wichita, KS. He specializes in ADHD and anxiety disorders and also treats depressive disorders, trauma-related disorders, and impulse control/disruptive disorders. Dr. Mitnaul’s content focuses on parenting in the digital age, offering professional medical advice for parents based on his experience and as a father himself.

6. Divya Nag Nahesh

Divya Nag Nahesh[14]

Specialty: Biotechnology

Twitter

Divya Nag Nahesh[15] is the founder of StartX Med, an organization that offers customized support for life science and medical start-ups, and Stem Cell Theranostics, a biotechnology company developing genetically-targeted therapies for heart failure. She also serves as the Director of Health at Apple. She has spoken at numerous entrepreneurial and medical-related events, such as WIRED Magazine’s Healthcare Conference and discussions with President Obama on Women in Entrepreneurship. Divya has been featured on Forbes’ 40 under 40 list, Forbes’ 30 under 30 list, and Stanford University’s Thought Leader lists for her contributions to biomedical research.

7. Doctor Mike

Doctor Mike[16]

Specialty: Family Medicine

Dr. Mikhail Varshavski[17], also known as Doctor Mike, is a family physician based in New York. In 2015, People Magazine named him “Sexiest Doctor Alive,” skyrocketing his online presence. The primary care physician posts educational content on various health conditions, calls out medical myths, and answers common health queries. He also hosts a podcast, The Checkup with Doctor Mike, interviewing healthcare providers, athletes, celebrities, artists, and more about health and wellness.

8. Dr. Ethan Milello

Dr. Ethan Milello[18]

Specialty: Pharmaceuticals

Instagram

TikTok

YouTube

Dr. Melillo, a pharmacist based in Rhode Island, offers his perspective on using certain medications, remedies for common ailments, and tips for saving money on prescriptions. He also humanizes himself and his profession by sharing personal news and funny medical content.

9. Dr. Andrew Weil

Andrew Weil[19]

Specialty: Integrative Medicine

Dr. Weil[20] is a doctor with 30 years of experience specializing in integrative medicine and promoting holistic health practices. He founded Weil Lifestyle, LLC, a company that offers resources and products relating to integrative medicine, supporting his nonprofit, the Weil Foundation. The Weil Foundation centers on educating healthcare professionals and the general public about integrative medicine practices and researching their applications. Dr. Weil is also a clinical professor and the founder and director of the Program in Integrative Medicine (PIM) at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Dr. Weil uses his medical expertise to promote healthy lifestyles based on integrative medicine principles, has authored several best-selling books, and has starred as a featured guest on talk shows such as Oprah and Larry King Live over his career.

10. Pixie Turner

Pixie Turner[21]

Specialty: Nutrition and Psychotherapy

Instagram

Twitter

Pixie Turner[22] is a registered nutritionist and psychotherapist who specializes in intuitive eating, disordered eating, body image, and LGBTQ+ concerns. She is also the founder and lead nutrition counselor at Pixie Nutrition, which offers consultations for nutrition and counseling, speaking and writing services, and educational courses for nutrition students and professionals. Pixie uses her platforms and podcast, “In Bad Taste,” to help improve patients’ relationships with food and themselves through helpful nutrition tips and validating relatable experiences.

Learn How to Partner With Popular Healthcare Influencers

The partnership between social media healthcare influencers and healthcare marketers presents a valuable opportunity to disseminate accurate health information, promote wellness, and positively influence individuals’ health-related decisions and behaviors. Healthcare influencers often have substantial followings across various social media platforms. Leveraging their reach enables healthcare marketers to access a broader audience that might otherwise be challenging to reach through traditional advertising.

Are you searching for a top-tier healthcare marketing agency that can implement paid partnerships with healthcare influencers into your marketing strategy? Health Union can evaluate how social influencer partnerships benefit your healthcare marketing goals.

Learn more about Health Union’s influencer marketing solutions: The HUman Side of Data.

Sources

Santiago, E. (2023, May 10). The top channels for influencer marketing in 2023 [New data]. Hubspot. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/influencer-platforms

Pew Research Center. (2023, November 15). Social Media and News Fact Sheet. https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/fact-sheet/social-media-and-news-fact-sheet/

Suarez-Lledo, V., & Alvarez-Galvez, J. (n.d.). Prevalence of Health Misinformation on Social Media: Systematic Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.2196/17187
(2023, April 10). 2 in 5 rely on online information over their own doctor: study. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2023/04/10/2-in-5-rely-on-online-information-over-own-doctor-study/
Arnold, J. [@jenarnoldmd]. (2023, November 22). If you are in medicine and passionate about inclusion and equity in healthcare, you won’t want to miss this webinar [Video]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz82U4RtWKV/

Jen Arnold, MD. (n.d.). Jen Arnold, MD. https://jenarnoldmd.com/

Dr. Angela PharmD [@angelapharmd]. (2023, November 26). #pharmacistadvice #pharmacistrecommended #FiveThings #supplements #vitamins #weightlosssupplement #fyp #foryourpage [Video]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/C0F9A7kuD54/?hl=en

Sood, K. [@doctorsood]. (2023, November 28). Can’t think of a valid explanation; let me know if you have one #iud #iudinsertion #womenshealth [Video]. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@doctorsood/video/7306581194584411435?lang=en

Kunal Sood, MD. (n.d.). National Spine & Pain Centers. https://www.treatingpain.com/find-a-doctor/kunal-sood-md/

thatgaydoctor [@thatgaydoctor]. (2023, April 5). Unless you are completely abstinent, routine STI testing is always a good idea. Even if you’re likely negative, it’s reassuring [Video]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CqrFcc0Ojgl/?hl=en

Lisitza, A. (2021, April 14). This doctor works to increase LGBT representation in medicine. BuzzFeed. https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexalisitza/lgbtqia-representation-in-medicine

DOCTOR MITNAUL | PARENTING IN THE DIGITAL AGE [@doctormitnaul]. (2023, September 27). What are your top 3️⃣? Let me know in the comments below If you find this video helpful, please share [Video]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CxstmLLrcKR/
Ascension. (n.d.). Larry D. Mitnaul, Jr., MD. https://healthcare.ascension.org/doctors/1659633709/larry-d-mitnaul-jr-wichita-ks
Divya Nag Nahesh (@dnag09). (n.d.) X. https://twitter.com/dnag09?lang=en

Divya Nag Nahesh. (n.d.) LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/divya-nag-nahesh-9690a53a/
Varshavski, M. [@doctormike]. (2023, August 10). Mental health is health @Harry Jowsey [Video]. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@doctormike/video/7265772763959430446?lang=en
Schwartz, J. (2022, October 29). Meet Dr. Mike: Former “Sexiest Doctor Alive” set to make pro boxing debut. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2022/10/29/former-sexiest-doctor-alive-dr-mike-set-to-make-boxing-debut/
Milello, E. [@millennialrx]. (2023, November 12). Replying to @bradleyc55 Drug of the Day: Auvelity #pharmacy #pharmacist #pharmacology #auvelity #majordepressivedisorder #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #trending #fyp #millennialrx #ConSantanderConecto [Video]. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@millennialrx/video/7300635400748502314
Weil, A. [@drweil]. (2023, November 28). Curious about ketamine? Though often categorized together, ketamine and psychedelics work in different ways. According to Psychology Today, “Whereas ketamine [Video]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/C0MVhLErucS/?hl=en
Andrew Weil, MD. (n.d.). WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/andrew-weil
Turner, P. [@pixienutrition]. (2023, June 27). Last week I had the pleasure of speaking at the GDI International Food Innovation Conference in Switzerland While my day [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/Ct_NdveovDd/?img_index=1

Meet the team. (n.d.). Pixie Turner Nutrition. https://www.pixieturnernutrition.com/about-me/

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