What’s the first thing you do when you don’t feel great? Google it, right? 

Putting our symptoms in the search bar enables us to feel a greater control of our bodies, and health. Well, when it doesn’t end in complete hypochondriac panic, that is.

Gone are the days where the only people who could tell us what was wrong with our bodies, and what to do next, were tucked away at the doctor’s office.

In the modern, internet age, the patient has the power, and natural, at-home remedies take precedent. But it’s not merely health websites that have seized on this trend. 

Across social media, healthcare influencers are taking no prisoners when it comes to building a following. But, how do we know that these people are truly focused on our health, rather than achieving their five minutes of fame?

The landscape of medicine and its relationship to social media is ever-changing, and a tough one to navigate. So, let’s dive into a study on one such medical professional/influencer, and see what we can find… 

Who is Dr Kelly Lamoreaux DMD (@iamdoctorkelly)? 

Some might say that being a doctor, even before social media, was an influencer role of sorts. In fact, doctors and healthcare professionals influence us in many ways.

They give us guidance and steer us in the right direction to take care of our bodies, and even provide us with products to help us do this, in the form of medication.

It seems that influencer culture and medicine, by their very nature, are quite well matched. Doctors, through healthcare education, show us what perfect health looks and feels like, and we follow suit. 

Thanks to the internet, the field was primed for doctors to take advantage of new opportunities to help patients. This is where Dr Kelly Lamoreaux comes in.

She has often been referred to as a celebrity doctor, not merely because she treats a host of sports stars and other celebs at her Colorado clinic. But, because she has earned that title in her own right. 

With over a million combined followers on her @iamdoctorkelly accounts on Instagram and TikTok, and countless podcasts and magazine covers, as well as TV experiences under her belt, Dr Kelly is definitely a medical influencer.

Through hard work, she has been able to build an audience of people who desire information in her medical niche. If nothing else, her huge following shows us that there is a clear hankering for the spread of this kind of knowledge online. 

Why Do We Look to the Internet For Medical Help?

Every industry has been transformed with the digital age, and medicine and healthcare are no different. Nowadays, searching the internet for an illness, understanding its symptoms, and finding out our next steps, are just one part of the equation.

In recent years, healthcare influencers have been on the rise. These personalities, who are not always registered healthcare professionals, offer information and advice on a range of specialisms in the medical field, over social media. 

Bedside Manner 

One draw of these healthcare influencers is the chance to receive ongoing and long term assistance from medical professionals.

While we might only have one medical appointment every few weeks or even months, Dr Kelly is there for her ‘patients’ each and every day.

She’s more than a doctor, as we get a glimpse into her own experiences with her health, and even into her family life. We watch her wear gorgeous dresses, and drive incredible cars just like any other influencer.

On TikTok, we see her in her scrubs at the office, reminding us to floss like any dentist would. It’s much easier to form a relationship with these figures, as we look at Dr Kelly not only as a helpful medical professional, and a close friend; we look to her as a role model. 

What Could be More Private than Social Media?

Another factor that encourages many people to look to the internet, rather than speak to their own doctor, is its privacy.

Many sufferers may not want to speak about diastasis recti, or other such intimate health conditions, so internet-based options provide a certain solitary comfort.

This means Dr Kelly’s conversation is a little one-sided; however, people are certainly listening to what she’s saying. In this way, Dr Kelly, and other doctors on social media, help offer their followers bodily autonomy, and increased control over their well-being. 

Closing Thoughts 

Many medical professionals, such as Dr Kelly Lamoreaux, have chosen to take their jobs online. This way, they can help as many people as possible, and increase understanding of important medical issues.

The crossover between healthcare and the internet has brought a lot of benefits to patients around the world, but it also has a lot of pitfalls. After all, people who are not qualified in healthcare can easily become healthcare influencers.

With so many years of experience in her field, you can count on the fact that Dr Kelly won’t be spreading misinformation.

Opting to put your trust in actual trained medical professionals who have become influencers, rather than healthcare influencers, is a good bet when searching for medical information online. If you’re looking for assistance in post-natal fitness, or dentistry, Dr Kelly is the perfect choice.