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Physicians must combat medical misinformation, advocate for evidence-based policies, and protect public health amid politicization.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the medical community demonstrated that respected and capable scientists can and must speak up in a non-partisan and collaborative effort to highlight accurate and evidence-based information to promote health. There is little doubt physicians will be called upon to do this again in the coming years. It will not be easy and may take a mental and physical toll on an already stretched physician workforce, but physicians remain one of the most trusted members of our community, and we must be steadfast in the value of scientific principles, evidence-based medicine, and patient-centered care. This will take effort, courage, and pragmatism, but we must do it collectively as physicians and trusted health messengers.
Access to health information has never been easier in today’s interconnected world. A quick internet search can answer any question about wellness, medical conditions, or scientific advancements. Yet, the very convenience of this access comes with a significant challenge: determining what information is accurate, dependable, and trustworthy. Disinformation or lies are cheap, easy to create, and spread like wildfire, especially when they provoke outrage or fear. However, science is about finding truth in an ever-changing world, and just like medicine, science is a team-based sport that requires millions of people and institutions to do the hard and expensive work to get closer to the truth.
The Challenges Facing Healthcare
There are multiple challenges we face to promote trust and information. The public faces information overload, and sorting through countless articles, posts, and videos can be overwhelming. This environment only muddies the waters and causes “truth” to sink to the bottom, not rise to the top. Traditional or non-traditional media sources often oversimplify information or lack the nuance or context required for complete understanding. Science and truth are often complex, and information may be overly simplified to capture headlines, clicks, and the public’s short attention span. However, if it is simple, it is often not accurate. Furthermore, there are nefarious and deliberate efforts to spread false information, known as disinformation, often for political, financial, or ideological reasons, further complicating the landscape of health science communication.
It has been no secret that Donald Trump and many of his most senior advisors have expressed distrust or outright disdain for institutions and experts who have dedicated their lives to knowledge or an area of expertise, especially if it does not serve their narrative. Suppose they hold true to their campaign rhetoric. In that case, the next Trump administration will put health and science in a deeply concerning position and raise uncertainty about the future of some of our most important institutions regarding public health, science, and accurate information. Weakening the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and Federal Drug Administration, among others, risks creating a knowledge vacuum for many who rely on these agencies for guidance. Additionally, this vacuum will only allow misinformation to flourish, further exacerbating confusion and lack of clarity, which will exacerbate distrust and confusion among the public and professionals, only making the work of physicians harder. There is no question that there are opportunities to improve these institutions, but the current rhetoric that uses words like “dismantle” or “burn it down” is deeply concerning. Outward hostility further undermines public trust in science and information in a time where anyone can claim to be “an expert,” and any information or misinformation to fit a certain worldview or narrative is at our fingertips.
Health science is a rapidly evolving field, and we need all our institutions to support the scientific process and collectively work towards the truth, but even more critical is the public trust and support of research and expertise. This is essential for maintaining societal well-being. There is concern that governing or creating policy on instinct, partial information, or blatant misinformation and the misuse of scientific findings will further erode this trust and damage our health as a nation.
How We Can Help
We must all lean in to help our patients, ourselves, and our colleagues learn to look for information from reputable organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), or peer-reviewed medical journals and be cautious of sensational headlines, simple answers or claims that sound too good to be true. It is important to remind all of us that science is not about knowing the truth; it is about finding the truth or moving closer to the truth in an ever-changing world. Science evolves as new evidence emerges. This means recommendations may change, but that does not indicate unreliability—it is a sign of progress. We must elevate expert voices, defer to expertise when in doubt, and consult physicians and professionals who have dedicated their lives to improving the health of our communities. Just like we do daily in the exam room or hospital, physicians and scientists can help interpret complex research findings and provide guidance tailored to an individual circumstance. We must support and encourage science literacy from an early age to help students and people understand how to assess information and recognize credible sources critically.
Government agencies, educational institutions, and healthcare organizations must be publicly upheld and supported in their critical role in maintaining public trust. We must elevate and support clear communication about uncertainties, ongoing research, and policy changes. Organizations must help provide reliable, easy-to-find, and understandable information while actively addressing public concerns and debunking misinformation through open dialogue. Furthermore, we need multiple organizations and institutions to help create checks and balances so that there is ongoing dialogue and debate to ensure accountability and accuracy of information and data.
Taking On Future Challenges
As technology evolves, new challenges and opportunities for health science communication will arise. Artificial intelligence, for example, has the potential to personalize health advice, but it also requires robust oversight to prevent misuse. Similarly, social media platforms can amplify both credible information and harmful misinformation. We must hold traditional and novel medical information platforms accountable for creating algorithms or environments that promote and spread dangerous misinformation. Building trust in health science and accurate information is a shared responsibility; we ALL have a role to play. By prioritizing transparency, critical thinking, and open communication, we can navigate the complexities of the modern information landscape and empower individuals to make informed decisions about their health.
In an era of unprecedented access to information, trust in health science is more crucial than ever. As we enter the potentially turbulent waters of a second Trump administration, the stakes for public trust in health and science are incredibly high. We need more science, not less. And we need more trusted physicians, career scientists and public health officials to speak up and share their expertise. Politicization and misinformation about vaccines, health treatments, or public health measures may lead to harmful decisions and policies at both individual and societal levels. When trust in science wanes, it can undermine efforts to address major health crises like pandemics, antibiotic resistance, health equity, and chronic disease prevention, which directly impact our work as physicians and the health of our communities. By educating ourselves, speaking up, supporting institutions, and engaging with credible information sources, every physician has a role in strengthening our collective ability to navigate the evolving world of health, information, and trust.
