Healthcare providers — including doctors, nurses and dentists — are some of the most popular professions on TikTok, according to a recent study from Registered Nursing.
TikTokers have spent an average of 630 million hours watching videos involving doctors, more than 628 million hours watching teachers, and some 427 million hours watching nurses videos, the study found.
Following doctors, teachers and nurses – chefs, dentists, pilots, chiropractors and electricians were the next most popular professions on the platform. Still, plenty of other healthcare-related professions — including orthodontists, pharmacists, dental hygienists, physician assistants, psychologists, optometrists, pediatricians, physical therapists, counselors, psychiatrists and dieticians — all made the top 35.
In short, people are flocking to TikTok for health information – a notion that’s not entirely new. There are, after all, countless famous physician influencers building their personal brands on the platform, like Dr. Noc and Dr. Anthony Youn.
One study released earlier this year found that Gen Z and millennials are increasingly turning to TikTok for health advice and information, in lieu of speaking to their doctors. That study found that 18% of the U.S. population — about 59 million people — seek health information and guidance from social media influencers.
It’s not surprising, then, that doctors top the list of the most popular professions on TikTok.
The Registered Nursing study found that, in particular, people love healthcare videos that involve treatment explanations or breakdowns — as well as the infamous “doctor reacts” videos. Content involving pimple-popping, dietary advice, skincare guidance and humorous commentary on daily life in the hospital have all gone viral on the site, reaching millions of users.
Despite the popularity of healthcare information on the site, however, a large portion of it can be misleading or misinformed.
A study released in December 2022 found that 84% of TikTok’s mental health videos, for example, are misleading.
The popularity of healthcare professions — and perhaps simultaneously the dearth of authoritative, quality information — on TikTok may open an opportunity for healthcare marketers.
One recent report from WARC Media estimates that global ad revenue on TikTok is expected to exceed $15 billion in 2023, with 75% of marketers planning to increase spending on the site.
