The medical profession, and in particular family physicians, remain among the most respected professionals in the U.S. According to a survey done by Google and published on its website, doctors are tied with scientists and farmers as the number one respected professionals in the US. Eighty-three percent (83%) of Americans think these three professionals command the most respect of all professions. Nurses are actually the “most trusted” health professionals, but only rank at 81% for respect.
For comparison, garbage collectors command respect from the public at a rate of 74%, attorneys 63% and politicians check in at 41%. It has to be embarrassing for attorneys to know they lag behind garbage collectors, but reassuring that they’re far ahead of politicians. That’s the perspective of the public, but what about trust and respect as seen by doctors themselves?
Problems may actually pre-date this event, but I think COVID-19 did more harm to the public trust in our medical establishment and “medical experts” than any single event in history. Controversies like the origin of the virus, transmissibility of the virus, its many clinical presentations, options for treatment, and mRNA vaccines were just some of the items that led the public to distrust medical information and the entities from which it came.
COVID mistrust carried over into eroding of the well-established bond of trust between physician and patient. Physicians began to sense the public distrust which was reflected in a survey conducted by Medscape. Four hundred US physicians were asked about the “current state of the profession and issues involving trust in medicine.” Forty-four percent of the physicians surveyed felt patient trust in their treatment recommendations has worsened. In other words, almost half of doctors thought patients no longer trusted them to make proper decisions on their behalf. Public health officials suffered worse, though, and only 18% of physicians trust medicine or public health officials. But 88% of physicians felt their patients still trust them, personally.
Vaccines are a big source of controversy as well. There are so many differences of opinion on vaccines that patients are confused. We must remember that for decades vaccines were regarded as safe, effective, and universally recommended and accepted. Anti-vaxers were rare and quiet, but COVID changed all of that. Physicians often have to talk patients into getting their children vaccinated, now. It can be a hard sell. But for decades those vaccine-preventable diseases were controlled. We never saw them. That has changed, too.
Seventy percent of physicians have lost trust in payers/insurance companies. They are concerned that payers will not make evidence-based, fair decisions when it comes to covering new treatments. Sixty percent of physicians surveyed don’t trust the federal government to make evidence-based recommendations while only 18% of physicians trust the government to set policy based on strong scientific evidence.
As I mentioned earlier, trust issues have drastically changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The open ridicule of anyone who suggested treatment that was outside the mainstream, or what so-called “experts” stressed as an acceptable treatment. The two I was most put off by were hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin. Those who were advocates for these drugs were threatened with losing their license and losing their rights as a physician. And penalties were levied against the accused. It was a bizarre time.
All of this served to lessen the trust between patients, doctors, medical agencies and “experts.” That mistrust has waned some, but the memory and remnants of this very confusing time remain.
Reference. : O’Mary L. Doctors say patients are losing Trust in their treatment advice: Medscape 2026 May 27. See attachment.
