After the pandemic, public trust in the U.S. healthcare system plummeted, and officials at the local level took the hardest hit when compared to federal health officials. As things stand, even state and federal health officials are losing even the little trust that the public still had in them. For a healthcare system to function, public trust is vital because people want to believe that the professionals they entrust with their health have their best interests at heart.
It is therefore alarming that public trust in healthcare professionals is at an all-time low, and fixing the healthcare crisis needs to start with restoring public trust. Two physicians, both academics, wrote a paper offering some suggestions on how public trust can be restored. We highlight some of their key recommendations.
Dr. Daniel Morgan and Dr. Deborah Korenstein suggest that public health officials need to recommit to the doctrine of doing no harm. This entails weighing all possibilities of how the public views the benefits of a policy and its possible harms. For example, though well intentioned, closing daycare centers during the pandemic to prevent the spread of the virus was perceived as a harmful policy by some members of the public whose kids could no longer access meal plans at school and were denied social interaction.
It would have been helpful for the health officials to weigh all these factors and communicate appropriately in order to get most people on board during the implementation of the policy. In this way, trust would have been preserved once the potential harms of the policy were proactively addressed.
The academics also recommend that variance in opinions and individual autonomy should always be accommodated by public health officials. The public and the healthcare system must work collaboratively as willing partners. To this end, emphasis should go towards seeking interventions that are minimally coercive. Public health mandates involve coercion, and these attract the highest level of friction between the healthcare system and those it is meant to serve.
Mandates should therefore be a measure of last resort, no a default way to deliver public health. The fewer the mandates, the higher the likelihood that trust will remain, the duo say.
Transparency and nonpartisanship should underpin all public health measures, the two academics emphasize. Politically-charged statements should be a no-go when public health messaging is being communicated. This will avoid alienating sections of the public and breeding mistrust. For example, it was a mistake to close churches during the pandemic while at the same time allowing public rallies to happen in the wake of George Floyd’s death. This caused resentment among the Christian community as they felt social justice advocates were being given preferential treatment.
The academic physicians make several other recommendations that public health officials need to give serious thought if trust is to be rebuilt in the public. As things stand, companies like Astiva Health that serve vulnerable demographics in communities now have to do a lot more to deliver on their mission because the general healthcare system isn’t viewed as positively as it once was.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Astiva Health are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/Astiva
About BioMedWire
BioMedWire (“BMW”) is a specialized communications platform with a focus on the latest developments in the Biotechnology (BioTech), Biomedical Sciences (BioMed) and Life Sciences sectors. It is one of 75+ brands within the Dynamic Brand Portfolio @ IBN that delivers: (1) access to a vast network of wire solutions via InvestorWire to efficiently and effectively reach a myriad of target markets, demographics and diverse industries; (2) article and editorial syndication to 5,000+ outlets; (3) enhanced press release enhancement to ensure maximum impact; (4) social media distribution via IBN to millions of social media followers; and (5) a full array of tailored corporate communications solutions. With broad reach and a seasoned team of contributing journalists and writers, BMW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that want to reach a wide audience of investors, influencers, consumers, journalists and the general public. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, BMW brings its clients unparalleled recognition and brand awareness.
BMW is where breaking news, insightful content and actionable information converge.
To receive SMS alerts from BioMedWire, “Biotech” to 888-902-4192 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)
For more information, please visit https://www.BioMedWire.com
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: https://www.BioMedWire.com/Disclaimer
BioMedWire
San Francisco, CA
www.BioMedWire.com
415.949.5050 Office
Editor@BioMedWire.com
BioMedWire is powered by IBN
