From clinics to content: Call for a new wave of digital health creators

A growing push to redefine how health information is shared online is gaining momentum, as stakeholders call for more digital health creators to bridge the gap between medical expertise and public understanding.

At a recent HealthKraft session, Nigerian actress Stella Damasus and travel content creator Wakawaka Doctor urged doctors and nurses to rethink how they engage with the public in an increasingly digital-first world.The central message was clear: clinical expertise alone is no longer enough. As more people turn to the internet for health advice, professionals must meet audiences where they already are online.

“No matter how skilled you are, nobody is looking at you anymore because times are changing,” Damasus said.

“It’s easier for people to use ‘Dr. Google’ than coming to the hospital,” she added.

A key driver of this shift is the growing role of platforms such as TikTok, which has partnered with Healthkraft to help amplify credible health content.

Through the partnership, health creators are able to translate complex medical information into short-form videos that reach larger, more diverse audiences. TikTok has become a key distribution channel for health education, particularly among younger users.

Despite their expertise, many medical professionals still struggle with simplifying complex health topics for public consumption. This gap, speakers warned, has allowed misinformation to spread more easily than verified content.n to thrive.

Damasus stressed that becoming effective digital health creators requires clarity and relatability.

“You have to be there as a human, talking to other humans, not as if we went to medical school with you,” she said.

She also pointed to the “three-second rule” of digital content, noting that audiences decide almost instantly whether to engage.

Start small, think like digital health creators

For Wakawaka Doctor, the solution lies in lowering the barrier to entry.

“My advice is to start now. You don’t need expensive equipment, just your phone,” he said.

He explained that his own journey began with simple videos, growing through consistency rather than production quality. Collaboration was also highlighted as essential for scaling impact.

“You can’t be an island,” Wakawaka Doctor said. “If you want to grow, you have to collaborate.”

Ultimately, the session framed digital communication as a core part of modern healthcare practice.

As the line between healthcare and media continues to blur, the call is becoming more urgent: to build a new wave of digital health creators who can combine clinical expertise with effective storytelling, ensuring that accurate information not only exists, but reaches the people who need it most.

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