HealthCentral Launches Drops, the First Vertical Video App Built for People Living with Chronic, Serious, and Rare Conditions

New social network combines vetted health and clinician creators, medically reviewed content, and condition-specific feeds, built for how people actually seek health information today

Drops addresses misinformation, social isolation, and the lack of credible community on mainstream platforms

NEW YORK, May 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthCentral today announced the launch of Drops, the first vertical video app designed for people living with chronic, serious, and rare conditions. Available now on the Apple App Store with Google Play dropping soon, Drops delivers personalized, condition-specific feeds and vetted patient and clinician creators, alongside medically reviewed content from HealthCentral's brands.

A recent Pew Research Center study found that about a third of U.S. adults turn to social media for health information, but 82% report encountering health misinformation there. At the same time, the CDC identifies chronic illness as a risk factor for social isolation, creating a cycle of complexity and disconnection that existing platforms have failed to address. Drops was built to close that gap, bringing credibility, connection, and relevance into one experience.

"Patients have moved from 'Dr. Google' to 'Dr. TikTok and Dr. GPT'. While these platforms offer convenience, the information they deliver often lacks critical context and credibility," said Justin Chase, CEO, HealthCentral. "Drops changes that. For the first time, patients and caregivers have a platform built for how they actually consume information, combining credible medical insight with real, relatable voices. Long-form communities serve a purpose, but they were never designed for this generation of engagement."

At launch, the app supports eight condition categories – with plans to expand to more than 40 – and brings together core features and functionality specifically designed with the patient experience in mind. These include condition-specific vertical video feeds tailored to each user's health journey and interests; a network of vetted creators, including patients and clinicians selected for their lived and clinical expertise rather than follower counts; and Creator Academy, a virtual training program that equips creators with the knowledge and tools they need to produce content that is both safe and accurate. The experience is further supported by medically reviewed editorial content from HealthCentral's award-winning network, seamlessly integrated into the feed.

"Patients aren't just looking for more information. They're looking for understanding, context, and connection," said Dr. Adam Goodcoff, Chief Medical Officer, HealthCentral. "What makes Drops different is that it brings clinical credibility into the same environment where people are already learning from each other, helping ensure that what resonates is also responsible."

The launch marks a significant milestone in HealthCentral's evolution from a health media company to a health experience company, building on its 25-year legacy as a trusted health content publisher and on the recent acquisition of Medfluencers, the physician-founded influencer relationship management platform.

"Drops is a win for both patients and physicians because it finally gives us a space to connect and educate without competing with misinformation," said Dr. Robyn Roth, Board-Certified Breast Radiologist. "Drops is what modern patient education should look like: credible, relatable, and built for how people are actually learning about their health in the digital age."

About Drops
Drops is a free app designed for people living with chronic, serious, and rare conditions, as well as the clinicians who treat them and the people who support them. Available on the Apple App Store with Google Play dropping soon, Drops delivers personalized, condition-specific feeds featuring real patient stories, clinician perspectives, and medically reviewed content from HealthCentral's brands. The app launches with eight condition categories and will expand to 40-plus conditions over time. For more information or to download the app, visit www.dropsapp.com.

About HealthCentral
HealthCentral is a health experience company focused on making health activations more trustworthy, relevant, and actionable. By connecting real-world, digital, and social experiences, the company delivers clinically grounded insights shaped by lived experience and cultural context. Through a portfolio of leading brands, proprietary platforms, and creator-led ecosystems, HealthCentral engages over 50 million patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. Brands include HealthCentral, MedCentral, Patient Power, Oncology News Central, TheBody, TheBodyPro, Drops, Medfluencers, and Something Original. For more information, visit healthcentralcorp.com.

Media Contact:
Cherise Moore
[email protected]

SOURCE HealthCentral