Online health misinformation is harming health outcomes globally, a report says.
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Growing mistrust in healthcare and science is fueling misinformation that threatens public health around the world, according to a new report.
Seventy percent of people worldwide believe at least one of six common, unscientific health claims, according to a trust and health report released in April by the Edelman Trust Institute, a global communications company. For example, some people believed the myths that the risks of childhood vaccines outweigh the benefits, that raw milk is healthier than pasteurized milk, that animal protein is healthier than plant protein, and that fluoride in drinking water is unhealthy.
Young adults were the most likely to believe the lies. Seventy-nine percent of people ages 18 to 34 believed at least one statement, followed by 70% of ages 35 to 54 and 60% of ages 55 and older.
“Doubts about nutrition, vaccination and public safety recommendations are no longer a fringe view,” Richard Edelman, the trust’s chief executive, said on his blog. “Health communicators must wake up to this radical new reality.”
The survey involved 16,000 respondents in 16 countries, including the United States. Two in three said their country is fragmented on health issues. Of that group, 52% said they are losing confidence in the health system. Trust in the media has also eroded since the COVID-19 pandemic. Forty-six percent of people surveyed said they trust health reports, up from 57 percent in 2019.
Many people said they have chosen medical advice from friends, family or social networks instead of their healthcare provider’s advice and use AI to answer health questions. Using AI chatbots for medical advice potentially leaves the door open to medical misinformation, as AI searches the internet for answers, often based on unverified sources, according to previous research.
Doctors and medical scientists remain the most trusted sources of health care information, although that trust has declined, according to the report.
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 the most information, the report’s authors recommended.
Additionally, providers should focus on being a guide to their patients and not just an expert. This means admitting that they may not have all the answers and spending less time trying to prove the patient’s opinions wrong.
“With so much information available and so many experts to choose from, providing care requires facilitating understanding,” the report’s authors said. “In a fragmented system, providers gain influence through collaboration, humility and helping patients make decisions.”
For more information on the “Edelman Trust Barometer 2026 Special Report: Trust and Health,” visit www.edelman.com.
- Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association
