YouTube announces it will certify medical experts in anti-'misinformation' push

YouTube announced that it would certify health professionals who create medical content on the platform in an effort to improve available health information and combat misinformation.

The video streaming platform announced on Thursday that it would allow specific categories of healthcare professionals to apply for a label that identifies their channel and content as a legitimate and certified source of medical information. The label had been previously used for educational and medical institutions and public health departments but will now be expanded to individuals.

"When it comes to our health, people trust healthcare professionals to give us the best advice," YouTube said in a blog post. "But the opportunity that healthcare professionals have to inform and educate their patients largely stops at the clinic door. The reality is that the majority of healthcare decisions are made outside the doctor's office, in the everyday lives of our patients."