Creator partnerships: Healthcare’s secret weapon against misinformation

Since the pandemic, health misinformation has spread rapidly across social media, and many healthcare brands are struggling to keep up. With as many as 50% of Gen Z turning to TikTok for medical advice, false claims often outpace facts.

Amaris Modesto, SVP of creator marketing at Edelman, believes strategic creator partnerships are key to combating this issue. By leveraging voices people already trust, healthcare brands can deliver accurate information.

“People trust people over brands,” Modesto said, citing research showing 64% of Gen Z users and 57% of millennials are more likely to trust a brand if a creator recommends it. “Face-to-camera videos that are raw and not overly edited continue to see the most success.” 

The goal, Modesto explained, is to offer an “accuracy filter” for people “scouring the internet” for health, wellness and medical information. One way to ensure it hits is to make paid ads part of the creator-first PR campaign. 

Unlike organic posts, which rely on algorithms, paid partnerships provide more audience control to ensure those creator messages reach the right people. It also triggers an extra level of regulatory scrutiny. 

“Healthcare brands have a role to play in cleaning up the internet,” Modesto added, “and paid creator campaigns help us do that.”

Choosing the right creator

In healthcare, selecting the right creator goes beyond audience size. Edelman carefully vets creators based on their professional credentials, content history and audience demographics. They also use tools to assess tone and brand alignment.

Modesto seeks creators who can simplify complex medical topics without sacrificing credibility, especially given the skepticism around paid influencer partnerships.

Preferred are partners who can blend “expertise with approachability,” Modesto said. Examples are Joel Bervell, a medical myth-buster, and Dr. Eric Burnett, a physician who uses a clinical approach. Choosing credentialed medical professionals also adds to the trust users likely place in them as messengers.

“It’s not just about vetting their content but ensuring they’re the right fit for the campaign,” she said. “This is something you should do with every creator you partner with.”

Celebrities can also work, provided they bring personal relevance. During the pandemic, for instance, Edelman’s client AstraZeneca tapped Jeff Bridges for its “Up The Antibodies” campaign to help debunk misinformation about COVID treatments and the seriousness of the disease. Having recently survived both lymphoma and COVID-19, Bridges became a powerful – and credible – advocate for the immunocompromised community.

“Name recognition is great,” Modesto said, “but it’s more important to find creators who can authentically speak to the topic.”

Regulatory scrutiny helps build trust

Modesto noted that there is growing skepticism about sponsored ads or partnerships. But what makes healthcare unique is that any paid ads or content must still meet rigorous standards set by the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission.

If a health partnership is a paid ad, it triggers regulatory review, with added scrutiny for health claims, disease treatments, pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

“The FTC ensures that advertising is truthful and not misleading, and that the claims we’re making are substantiated,” Modesto explained. “The FDA ensures that content about disease treatment is reserved for approved drugs.”

This additional layer of oversight makes creator-driven healthcare content more trustworthy than in other industries, she said. While the process can be slow, it boosts credibility.

To ensure creator content is accurate and compliant, Edelman starts every engagement with a content brief that outlines the specific ask, details about the review process, campaign timeline and relevant regulations. The brief also includes key messages, brand guidelines and market insights.

“Occasionally, we’ll include sample applications of the key messages,” Modesto said. “However, I generally like to give creators room to adapt the message into their own voice, style and tone since they know their audiences best.”

The brand’s legal team and healthcare professionals then review the material to ensure it meets organizational and regulatory standards.

In January 2025, Edelman launched a campaign with support from Hologic, Inc. – a medical technology company primarily focused on women’s health – to combat cervical cancer myths. Many people think that screenings are unnecessary if you have the HPV vaccine or if you’ve had a hysterectomy, so they don’t go in for their cervical cancer screenings, Modesto said. She also noted that misinformation on how to “cure” cervical cancer has been circulating on TikTok, including this one that has racked up more than 200,000 likes.

Hologic partnered with select OB-GYNs and women to demystify the exam and actively encourage audiences to prioritize their cervical health and understand why screenings matter. They used the approachable “Get Ready With Me” format for many of those posts.  In one, @nicolealiciamd talks about the procedure being pain-free and quick when a common misconception it’s quite painful and invasive. 

“It’s all part of ensuring the content is accurate, clean and compliant before it hits the feed,” Modesto said.

Repeat and reinforce

Modesto loves an opportunity to bring an influencer or creator back again and again for different opportunities. 

Reengaging a creator across multiple campaigns helps messages resonate over time. Edelman often taps creators for roles beyond social media, including podcasts, speaking engagements and medical conferences. These long-term partnerships create multiple entry points for deeper storytelling, especially around sensitive or complex health topics, Modesto said.

“Always have that large, macro, long-term view,” she added.

That consistency can also generate more earned media interest due to brand associations, Modesto said, because the brand-creator partnership feels more authentic.

“We’re not just creating content,” Modesto said. “We’re building multiple entry points for audiences to engage with critical and accurate health information.”

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.