Calls grow to discipline doctors spreading virus misinformation

Standing before a local school board in central Indiana this month, Dr. Daniel Stock, a physician in the state, issued a litany of false claims about the coronavirus. He proclaimed that the recent surge in cases showed that the vaccines were ineffective, that people were better off with a cocktail of drugs and supplements to prevent hospitalization from the virus, and that masks did not help prevent the spread of infection.

His appearance has since become one of the most-viewed videos of coronavirus misinformation. The videos — several versions are available online — have amassed nearly 100 million likes and shares on Facebook, 6.2 million views on Twitter, at least 2.8 million views on YouTube and over 940,000 video views on Instagram.

His talk's popularity points to one of the more striking paradoxes of the pandemic. Even as many doctors fight to save the lives of people sick with COVID-19, a tiny number of their medical peers have had an outsize influence at propelling false and misleading information about the virus and vaccines.

Now there is a growing call among medical groups to discipline physicians spreading incorrect information. The Federation of State Medical Boards, which represents the groups that license and discipline doctors, recommended last month that states consider action against doctors who share false medical claims, including suspending or revoking medical licenses. The American Medical Association says spreading misinformation violates the code of ethics that licensed doctors agree to follow.

"When a doctor speaks, people pay attention," said Dr. Humayun Chaudhry, president of the Federation of State Medical Boards. "The title of being a physician lends credibility to what people say to the general public. That's why it is so important that these doctors don't spread misinformation."

Stock joined physicians including Dr. Joseph Mercola, and a group that calls itself America's Frontline Doctors, in generating huge audiences for their bogus claims. The statements by them and others have contributed to vaccine hesitancy and a resistance to masks that have exacerbated the pandemic in the United States, public health officials say.

The doctors often stand in lab coats and use simplified medical jargon, lending an air of authority. They often take advantage of a ready audience online by livestreaming news conferences, and keep interest alive by promising new evidence that will expose corruption and support their arguments.

In January, a San Francisco doctor who had been falsely claiming that 5G technology caused the pandemic volunteered to surrender his license to the California Medical Board.

"Publicly spreading false COVID-19 information may be considered unprofessional conduct and could be grounds for disciplinary action," Carlos Villatoro, a spokesman for the Medical Board of California, said in a statement.

But Chaudhry said it was impossible to know how many states had opened investigations into doctors spreading misinformation. Such investigations are typically not publicized until a decision is reached, and the process can take many months.

Stock, 59, did not respond to several requests for comment for this article. He has been a licensed doctor in Indiana since 1989, a year after he graduated from the Indiana University School of Medicine. He has worked in several hospitals, urgent care centers and private practices in the state, according to a profile on LinkedIn.

On Stock's website he sets himself apart from conventional medicine. "By presenting patients with all of their treatment options — whether that's a pill, lifestyle change, therapy, or supplements — I help patients choose the option that works best for them," the website reads. "This results in permanent healing, not merely the temporary relief found in the traditional system." He sells dozens of vitamins and supplements on the site.

YouTube, which forbids videos that spread false information about the virus, said it would not take down the full video of the meeting that the school board had put online. "While we have clear policies to remove harmful COVID-19 misinformation, we also recognize the importance of organizations like school boards using YouTube to share recordings of open public forums," Elena Hernandez, a YouTube spokeswoman, said.

Doctors spreading coronavirus misinformation "leverage the credibility of their titles and medical expertise to make their arguments appear more authoritative," said Rachel E. Moran, a researcher at the University of Washington who studies online misinformation, including about the COVID-19 vaccines.

"What's most frustrating about this is how anti-vaccination advocates typically spread mistrust in medical professionals until it's no longer a useful strategy for them," Moran said, noting how they regularly cast doubt on Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.