A recent survey undertaken by Gallup in 2025 found that since 2021, there has been a 14% drop in the level of the public’s trust in the physicians who take care of them. This decline was the steepest among the declines registered by all the professions focused on.
Today, most people are relying on health advice from family members, their peers, social media and other online communities. This isn’t the way things should be. Physicians and other healthcare professionals ought to be the go-to professionals for healthcare advice. How can this loss of trust in physicians be restored?
First, it is important to acknowledge that Americans have many grievances against the healthcare system. The public is resentful and dissatisfied with the healthcare system for many reasons, such as a perception that the system isn’t looking out for their interests. Over time, these grievances breed declining engagement with healthcare professionals, greater skepticism regarding evidence-based healthcare guidance and worsening health outcomes. As you can see, this then becomes a self-perpetuating loop that worsens trust in physicians.
Fixing the problem starts with a shift to value-based care which creates opportunities for patients to be heard, nurtures environments that are supportive to physicians in the execution of their duties and puts transparency at the center of everything regarding the provision of health care.
To do this, there needs to be coordination and collaboration in the delivery of healthcare. This requires the development of teamwork during the delivery of medical care. For instance, when a patient goes for a scheduled dental exam, the dentist needs to get a big-picture view of the medical records of the patient and initiate a conversation about any other needed tests or exams that are overdue, even if they don’t fall within the dental field. This shows the patient that their healthcare professional cares about them and wants them to be in good overall health.
It is also necessary to come up with or implement innovations that boost engagement. For example, remote monitoring after in-person visits provides needed after-care and shows patients that their wellbeing is a priority. Such digital-based innovations also reduce costs in terms of money and time that patients have to invest to access their medical service providers, which in turn, contributes to building trust.
Candid discussions about costs and treatment options can also help in rebuilding trust. When a patient is taken through the different treatment options, their costs, and benefits or drawbacks, the care experience is improved because the patient is involved in making many of the decisions that need to be made about their situation. When the process is one way, with the patient on the receiving end, trust can reduce because the motivation behind those decisions isn’t clear. This is especially pivotal in the current circumstances where costs are high and patients may think they are being pushed towards an option that benefits the physician and not the patient.
It is also important for physicians to address any safety concerns that patients may have so that there is buy-in before a treatment plan is implemented. Medical gaslighting should be a no-no.
Rebuilding trust is a slow process that requires medical care professionals to put the patient first in everything they do, as the profession calls them to do. As trust grows, even vulnerable communities that are served by healthcare insurance providers like Astiva Health will feel that the system cares for them even if they belong to racial minorities.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Astiva Health are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/Astiva
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