False online health information prompts doctors to intervene, survey finds – CTV
April 21, 2026
A new survey by the Canadian Medical Association finds doctors are increasingly intervening to address harm caused by patients acting on false health information found online.
The Physician Pulse survey, published Tuesday, reveals that 97 per cent of responding doctors have had to intervene to prevent harm or address consequences after a patient followed false or misleading health information found online, including information from AI.
The survey was completed by 645 physicians between April 6-13.
Dr. Margot Burnell, medical oncologist and president of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), says this data is concerning.
“When individuals are unable to access care in a timely fashion, they will go online to seek health information,” she told CTVNews.ca in an interview.
“We know from previous studies released within the past year that those individuals that follow advice from online sources are at a five-times increased risk of reporting self-harm.”
