Tips For Clinicians on Combating Misinformation, Strengthening Patient Trust: K. "Vish" Viswanath, PhD

K. "Vish" Viswanath, PhD, a professor of population sciences at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and a professor of health communication at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, discusses how misinformation has impacted public trust in health care and highlights red flags patients should watch for in part 2 of an interview at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025. He also offers advice for clinicians on how to combat misinformation and build trust with patients.

Watch part 1 to learn more about the definition and sources of misinformation.

This transcript has been lightly edited; captions were auto-generated.

Transcript

How has misinformation impacted public trust in science and health care?

There is good news and bad news here. The good news is that science and medicine, our doctors and health care providers, are still the most trusted among all the groups. If you look at the national surveys, in almost every survey, scientists and doctors rank high above everyone else. That is the good news.

The bad news is twofold. One, because of misinformation and other reasons, trust has declined slightly in all institutions, including scientists and doctors, though the decline is not as steep among doctors and scientists. But trust is socially patterned. That means a number of other factors can also influence trust. For example, party or partisan ideologies could influence trust. Some people who identify with a particular party are less likely to trust compared with independents and others.

Also, an important point to note is that trust is also influenced by people's experiences with those institutions. If I go to an institution, like a hospital or a clinic, and if I feel disrespected, if I feel I'm not heard, if I feel I'm not treated, if I feel that I'm not being dealt fairly, then that can also erode trust, not just misinformation.

What are some red flags patients should look out for when evaluating the credibility of health information they find online?

In general, it is very difficult for an individual to figure out whether a bit of information they are getting is misinformation, disinformation, or information because, as an ordinary citizen, we have less time to do PhD-level research on every topic we encounter.

An individual can do certain things right when they hear something, particularly when it comes to treatment-related issues. The first thing to do is to check with your provider. If somebody suggests that I should drink water with cinnamon to cure my cold, it is not that harmful, but I can check with my physician. If it is a serious issue, like cancer, and somehow I can treat my cancer by standing in the sun or taking this alternative medication, I should double check with my provider. That's the first thing you should do.

The second thing is, there are reliable sources and institutions. You can go to sources such as websites of the National Institutes of Health, of hospitals, of cancer centers, or the CDC. These are institutions that have more reliable information, which has been vetted by scientists and others, that could be very helpful.

If you cannot do any of that, try to understand the motivations of the people who are trying to tell you this. Are they trying to help you? Are they trying to sell something? If they're trying to sell something, there is a motivation and incentive for them to misinform you.

What strategies should clinicians use to combat misinformation and rebuild trust with their patients?

This is more complex than it is on the surface, and I'll tell you why. Physicians have tremendous credibility. We have interviewed patients who have said, categorically, that they trust their physicians. If they have any questions, they go to their physicians, and they're fairly happy with the information they are getting.

From a physician's perspective, when they have time—they are always under time pressure—they should listen to why someone is approaching them with information or misinformation and asking for advice. They are doing that because they trust you as a physician.

This is very difficult to practice, but this is important. Don't judge your patient. Don't be impatient with them. I know you are under pressure, but understand where they are coming from and try to address those fears.

People are exposed to misinformation because there are information voids. What we mean by information voids is when they don't have access to reliable information, and they are looking for information, they are likely to be exposed to misinformation. It is important to ensure that they have correct and accurate information, either from you as a physician, your office, or the health system in which you are.