Re-Earning Trust in Science: A Health Imperative

The rapid pace of biomedical research insights and their translation into new diagnostics and treatments have enormous potential to improve health and well-being. Yet, despite the promise of these discoveries, preventable mortality is actually increasing, in part because too many people are unwilling or unable to take advantage of them. One major obstacle to uptake is the erosion of trust – trust in the innovations themselves, trust in the institutions that create them, and trust in the experts who advocate for their adoption. The unprecedented speed, reach, and scale with which misinformation and disinformation spread are critical accelerants of mistrust. We must take effective steps to re-earn trust and ensure that people have confidence in the reliable information they need to make appropriate health decisions.