Fake Doctor Reviews Look More Trustworthy Than Real Ones, Study Finds
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterWEDNESDAY, Sept. 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) — People may need to be as wary of fake reviews when they’re shopping for a new doctor as they would be scrolling on Amazon, a new study says. Fake reviews not only show up in some online doctor review platforms, but are often seen as more trustworthy and helpful than genuine reviews, researchers reported recently in the journal Internet Research. These fake reviews can seem more credible because they contain richer details regarding personal health than real patients would feel comfortable sharing online, researchers said. The detailed narratives exploit a gap between what folks want to read in a review versus what they’re willing to share themselves, the team concluded. “A real patient might simply say a doctor was helpful, while a fake review tells a detailed story about symptoms, diagnosis and treatment,” said lead researcher Aishwarya Deep Shukla in a news release. “People are drawn to stories,” said Shukla, an associate professor of business at Simon Fraser University in Canada. “Unfortunately, these deceptive …








