Dr. Maria Justine Birotte-Sanchez, a New Jersey-based family physician, has had her eye on a troubling trend.
As access to information grows and algorithms continue to shape what people see online, patients are increasingly exposed to medical mis- and disinformation. This information, which can come from social platforms like TikTok or Facebook, often finds its way into clinics, where patients arrive with beliefs that contradict science-based medicine.
It can be a frustrating issue for Birotte-Sanchez, who has been practicing medicine and owns and operates Faith Family Health Care in North Plainfield.
“Sometimes patients are not compliant with medications because of something that they read,” she said. “This can make it really hard to treat them.”
The consequences of patients falling prey to mis- and disinformation can be serious.
Speaking at the 2026 Adelantando Latino Healthcare Conference, held recently at Seton Hall University, Birotte-Sanchez recalled misinformation during the pandemic, when the drug ivermectin — traditionally used to treat infections from parasites both internal and external — was hailed by some as a treatment for COVID, despite studies showing it was ineffective.
Many people followed this disinformation and used ivermectin in place of effective treatments, meaning they weren’t receiving adequate care for the respiratory illness.
To address the dangers of mis- and disinformation, Birotte-Sanchez is promoting an approach to care that she calls “digital empathy,” which emphasizes listening to patients rather than lecturing them when misinformation becomes a barrier. The approach also incorporates cultural sensitivity, as certain populations — including Latino patients, according to Birotte-Sanchez — are more vulnerable to medical misinformation than others.
Birotte-Sanchez, who teaches at The Rutgers University School of Medicine in Newark and The Felician College School of Nursing in Lodi, breaks the digital empathy approach into three pillars:
- understanding the “why”;
- coaching in critical thinking;
- validating the emotion while redirecting to evidence.
Understanding the “why” involves working with the patient to identify the root cause of the belief. Coaching in critical thinking means helping patients turn to trusted sources rather than what Birotte-Sanchez calls “Dr. Google.” Validating the emotion while redirecting to evidence involves acknowledging the patient’s feelings while guiding them toward alternative, science-backed information.
Birotte-Sanchez says the approach works.
“Once the patient identifies that you have a truthful and honest interest in their health, they usually switch around,” she said.
The one caveat? Time.
It can take a lot of time to work through false beliefs firmly held by patients, which can slow down the practice. But for Birotte-Sanchez, the doctor-patient relationship is a sacred thing worth fighting for.
“Don’t forget that the main reason you are there is to serve that person in a one-on-one condition,” she said, speaking directly to the audience. “By using these tools, we can ensure the clinician-patient relationship may remain the most trusted source in their health journey.”
