Deborah Cohen

Deborah Cohen, an award-winning medical broadcaster and author of Bad Influence, explores how the internet and social media have turned health into a commercial playground. She discusses the pandemic-fueled boom in consumer health, celebrity and influencer sway over medical choices, the rise of online pharmacies and risky self-diagnosis, and practical red flags for evaluating online health advice.

Nnena Osuji, consultant haematologist and NHS trust CEO, brings clinical and leadership insight. Kamila Hawthorne, former RCGP chair, speaks on general practice and continuity of care. Deborah Cohen, investigative journalist, explores how online platforms reshape health behaviours. They discuss health influencers, AI chatbots, access pressures, digital literacy, and how systems and clinicians shape trust and misinformation.

Deborah Cohen, doctor, broadcaster, and author of Bad Influence, investigates how social media, influencers, and tech reshape health. She explores algorithms turning platforms into marketplaces for tests and treatments. Short-form content flattens medical nuance. She examines monetization of conditions, parasocial trust, and the struggle to regulate online health commerce.