Opinion: GoFundMe should stop embracing and promoting unproven clinical research

Medical crowdfunding, a large and rapidly growing practice dominated by the website GoFundMe, can be a lifesaver for people who find themselves unable to access cancer treatments, surgery, or other essential medical services due to gaps in insurance coverage or the failure of public institutions to meet their needs. But it is also helping raise funds for scientifically unproven and potentially dangerous medical treatments that are often packaged as legitimate clinical research and trials. Instead of trying to put a stop to these shady practices, GoFundMe is actually promoting them.

Although crowdfunding is a flawed solution to lack of access to health care, GoFundMe correctly sees the use of its services as a response to real and devastating health system failures, especially in the U.S. Some individuals