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- Page navigation anchor for Trust me, I’m a doctor: Public trust in the Information AgeTrust me, I’m a doctor: Public trust in the Information Age
We are at a crossroads in medicine, and in science in general. Dr. Goldenberg(1) uses vaccine hesitancy as an example of the erosion of public trust in medicine. Mistrust is the hidden force that often stands between us and our patients. Dr. Goldenberg suggests that we must be more transparent, embrace the uncertainty that lies at the heart of medicine and avoid ties with industry that might threaten trust. I agree and would add that we cannot rebuild trust without acknowledging why mistrust exists nor can we move forward without addressing the changing nature of health literacy in the Information Age.
Public trust allows us to encourage healthy behaviours and to respond to public health crises(2). Building trust requires us to acknowledge times when we as a profession have gotten things very wrong. Along with the great triumphs of medicine, such as the eradication of smallpox, we carry heavy historical baggage including disgraceful practices such as the purposeful mistreatment of Inuit with tuberculosis. Threats to public trust continue today, not only with questionable relationships between medicine and the pharmaceutical industry, but also with recent high profile cases of privacy violations and other unethical practices. Accepting historical wrongdoing as well as addressing ongoing ethically fraught behaviour is essential to rebuilding trust.
I agree with Dr. Goldenberg that more information alone isn’t the solution. The role of the internet and “Dr. Goog...
Show MoreCompeting Interests: None declared.