“Online physician impersonation is becoming a serious issue in the digital era.”
OB/GYN physician on Sermo
15% of physicians surveyed on Sermo reported being impersonated on social media. This highlights a growing challenge modern physicians face as they increasingly rely on online platforms to educate and connect with patients and build their professional presence.
The findings come from a recent Sermo poll of 721 global physicians and reveal a profession that recognizes the value of social media participation (sharing medical knowledge, building professional connections, and promoting their practice) but is concerned about the potential risks that accompany greater online visibility. Results reflect participating Sermo members and should not be treated as nationally representative.
As patients increasingly turn to social platforms for health information, fake accounts using a doctor’s name, image, or credentials can do more than damage one person’s reputation. They can put patients at risk.
Key insights from this survey
- 15% of physicians surveyed have been impersonated on social media
- 36% of those not yet targeted believe they are at risk
- 24% cite patient harm as a key risk, nearly matching legal complications (26%)
- 41% say limiting personal information is the most effective protection
- 17% avoid sharing personal information online entirely
Sermo members can access this community poll here.
Physicians are increasingly concerned about online impersonation
As physicians engage on social media, concerns about identity misuse are becoming more front of mind. Even among physicians who have not personally experienced impersonation, the concern is evident: more than one-third (36%) of respondents who had not yet been targeted believe they are at risk of becoming a victim of social media impersonation in the future.
The findings suggest that physicians view online impersonation as a realistic threat rather than a rare occurrence. As healthcare professionals continue to build public-facing profiles, many recognize that greater visibility can also create opportunities for bad actors to misuse their identities.
Risks of doctor impersonation
Among respondents, 5% reported that they had been impersonated and that the incident damaged their professional reputation.
Other key risks identified by respondents in the Sermo poll include legal complications (26%), patient harm (24%), reputational damage (26%), and erosion of trust in the medical profession (24%). Notably, concern about patient harm ranked nearly as high as legal ramifications, suggesting that many physicians see impersonation not only as a personal risk but also as a broader issue that could affect healthcare communication and public trust.
“As physicians become more visible online, our digital identity becomes part of our professional responsibility. Impersonation threatens not only personal reputation but also patient trust and safety. In an era where credibility can be copied in seconds, staying vigilant and educating our communities is more important than ever,” wrote one physician on Sermo.
Why this matters beyond the individual physician
The results underscore that impersonation can have consequences beyond the individual physician. Physicians are worried about what happens to the people who trust them. False accounts that appear legitimate can potentially spread inaccurate information, misrepresent medical credentials, or undermine public confidence in healthcare professionals.
Physicians are among the most trusted sources of health information, and that is exactly what makes impersonation effective. A fake account using a physician’s name, photo, and credentials borrows authority that took years to earn and can use it to promote unproven treatments, steer patients toward products or scams, or spread inaccurate advice.
- For platforms, the findings raise questions about verification and the speed of takedown processes for healthcare professionals.
- For health systems and medical societies, they point to a need for better guidance and support.
- For the media, they remind us that a credential on a social profile is no longer proof of authenticity.
Physicians continue to invest in social media
It’s understandable that physicians would step back from social media in response to these risks, and 31% of surveyed physicians have already done just that; reporting that they share only minimal personal information on their social media.
But if credible clinicians disengage, health misinformation could spread fastest where authoritative voices are absent. Physicians who share evidence-based information, correct inaccuracies, and join public health conversations are among the most effective counterweights to false claims. Every physician who logs off leaves a gap for influencers, commercial interests, and impersonators to fill—with potentially serious consequences for patients who don’t recognize the threat.
“As an ICU physician, I don’t have a large social media presence, but I’ve seen colleagues deal with fake accounts using their credentials. The scariest part isn’t the reputational hit — it’s the patient who follows bad advice thinking it came from a real doctor. Staying vigilant and educating our patients to verify sources is probably the most practical thing we can do right now,” shared one Intensive care physician on Sermo.
That is why the goal shouldn’t be to discourage physician participation in online communities, but rather to make it safer, through smarter social media strategies, stronger platform verification, faster impersonation reporting, and clearer protections for healthcare professionals.
Balancing visibility with privacy
The survey also revealed that physicians are actively thinking about how to protect themselves online while maintaining a digital presence. When asked which strategies they believe to be most effective in reducing the risk of impersonation, respondents identified limiting the amount of personal information shared online (41%) as the top method. Other practical approaches to managing an online identity included maintaining separate personal and professional social media accounts (29%) and using strict privacy settings (23%) to help maintain professional boundaries.
These responses suggest physicians are becoming more deliberate about managing their digital footprint, balancing the professional value of social media with efforts to protect their identity and privacy.
A new challenge in the digital era of healthcare
The Sermo survey highlights a profession navigating an increasingly complex reality: social media offers powerful opportunities for communication and influence, but greater visibility can also introduce new vulnerabilities.
For healthcare professionals, organizations, technology platforms, and the broader healthcare industry, addressing impersonation may become increasingly important to ensure trusted medical voices can safely participate in online conversations.
As physicians’ digital influence grows, so does the importance of protecting the authenticity of those voices.
