The Doctor Who Spreaded Misinformation to Patients

What happens when doctors push misinformation, jeopardizing patients’ lives? Today we dig into a months-long Post investigation into a system that appears ill-equipped to respond, and what that means for patients who suffered the health consequences.

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When Margret Murphy’s long-time doctor’s office told her to stop wearing a mask at her appointments during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, suggesting masking could be the cause of her high blood pressure, she left the practice and went elsewhere. 

But the doctor's actions shocked health reporter Lena Sun.  Sun – along with our colleague Lauren Weber – looked into how often this kind of bad medical advice was being given in doctors’ offices, and what, if any, consequences doctors faced.

“Doctors are among the most trusted people that we know,” Sun says. “They're up there on the pedestal. And so when they spread misinformation, it is triply damaging.” 

Yet, as this investigation found, doctors who prescribed misinformation rarely faced punishment.