en Patient’s education Patient’s education كاربردي Applicable <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="line-height:106%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Social media platforms have fundamentally altered how populations access health information, elevating influencers as trusted sources while marginalizing institutional voices. Influencer-driven content frequently propagates health misinformation including anti-vaccine narratives, unvalidated treatments, and misrepresented clinical evidence, amplified by engagement-driven algorithms that prioritize emotional resonance over accuracy. Younger populations and those with lower health literacy bear disproportionate exposure. Institutional health promotion strategies remain structurally ill-equipped to respond, constrained by slow approval processes, formal communication styles, and algorithmic disadvantage. Effective adaptation requires training communicators in digital storytelling, building rapid response capacity, forging partnerships with credible micro-influencers, and integrating media literacy into health education. Platform governance reform and updated evaluation frameworks are equally essential. Addressing influencer-driven misinformation is no longer peripheral; it is a core public health priority.</span></span></span></div> ,Health misinformation,Social media,Health influencers,Health promotion,Digital health communication 1 3 http://jhsp.medilam.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-75-2&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Alireza Pourrahim alirezapourrahim2003@gmail.com 1003194753284600459 0009000446694033 Yes Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran