Health misinformation online is harming health outcomes on a global scale, a report says.
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A growing distrust in healthcare and science is fueling misinformation that threatens public health worldwide, a new report finds.
Seventy percent of people globally believe at least one of six common unscientific health claims, according to a report on trust and health released in April by Edelman Trust Institute, a global communications firm. For example, some people believed myths that the risks of childhood vaccines outweigh the benefits, raw milk is healthier than pasteurized milk, animal protein is healthier than plant protein and fluoride in drinking water is unhealthy.
Young adults were the most likely to believe the mistruths. Seventy-nine percent of people ages 18-34 believed at least one claim, followed by 70% ages 35-54 and 60% ages 55 and older.
“Doubts about nutrition, vaccination and public safety recommendations are no longer a fringe view,” Richard Edelman, the trust's CEO, said on his blog. “Communicators in health must wake up to this radical new reality.”
The survey involved 16,000 respondents in 16 countries, including the U.S. Two in three said their country is fragmented over health issues. Of that group, 52% said they are losing trust in the healthcare system. Trust in the media has also eroded since the COVID-19 pandemic. Forty-six percent of people surveyed said they trust health reporting, down from 57% in 2019.
Many people said they have chosen medical advice from friends, family or social media over their healthcare provider's advice and use AI to answer health questions. The use of AI chatbots for medical advice potentially leaves the door open for medical misinformation, given AI scrapes the internet for answers, often relying on unverified sources, according to past research.
Doctors and medical scientists remain the most trusted sources of healthcare information, though that trust has fallen, the report found.
Given the loss of trust in health experts, providers should focus on health outcomes and shared goals, and increase the number of trusted providers in spaces where people get their information the most, report authors recommended.
In addition, providers should focus on being a guide for their patients and not just an expert. This means admitting they may not have all the answers and spending less time trying to prove that a patient's views are wrong.
“With so much information available and so many experts to choose from, providing care requires facilitating understanding,” the report authors said. “In a fragmented system, providers win influence through partnership, humility and helping patients navigate decisions.”
For more on the “2026 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Trust and Health,” visit www.edelman.com.
- Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association
