Medscape Announces Healing a Broken Trust Initiative

A new physician survey reveals growing concerns about declining patient trust, misinformation, and confidence in healthcare institutions

NEWARK, N.J., May 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Medscape has launched Healing a Broken Trust, a year-long editorial initiative exploring the growing erosion of public trust in medicine and science and examining pathways to restore that trust across healthcare.

Through in-depth reporting, expert commentary, physician perspectives and an original survey, the initiative will explore the complex forces reshaping trust in healthcare today. With the rise of social media and health misinformation to the growing influence of artificial intelligence, shifting public policy, and changes in the physician-patient relationship, trust in physicians and the healthcare system is constantly fluctuating.

As part of the initiative, Medscape conducted a national survey of 400 U.S. physicians centered on the growing concern among clinicians about declining confidence in healthcare institutions and medical expertise.

Among the findings:

• Nearly half (44%) of physicians said patients have less trust in their treatment recommendations today than they did several years ago.
• Only 18% said they trust federal regulatory bodies to craft healthcare policy grounded in strong scientific evidence.
• Seven in 10 physicians said they do not trust payers and insurers to make fair, evidence-based reimbursement decisions.
• Roughly 4 in 10 physicians said trust-related challenges have influenced their career plans, including considering early retirement, reducing clinical hours, or changing practice models.

At the same time, physicians reported that personal relationships with patients remain a critical source of trust. Eighty-eight percent of physicians surveyed said patients still trust them personally, even as broader confidence in healthcare systems and public institutions weakens.

"Many physicians never imagined practicing in an era when some patients would place more trust in the Internet or TikTok than in professionals with years of medical training and clinical experience," said David Olmos, executive director for editorial at Medscape and leader of the project. "We felt this was the right moment to take a deeper look at why trust in medicine is eroding — and what can be done to rebuild it." 

Survey respondents pointed to misinformation, politicization of health issues, and growing administrative pressures as key contributors to the problem.

"My patients trust me, but I am having to spend more time debriefing them regarding disinformation from our own government, something I never dreamed would ever happen," one neurologist wrote in the survey. Another physician described stepping away from the "insurance hamster wheel" to create a direct-pay practice model that allows for more time with patients and more personalized care.

The Healing a Broken Trust initiative will continue throughout 2026 with reporting and commentary examining:

• How social media and digital misinformation are reshaping public perceptions of medicine
• The role of AI and emerging technologies in healthcare decision-making
• The impact of politics and public policy on confidence in scientific institutions
• Changing dynamics in the physician-patient relationship
• Strategies healthcare leaders, physicians, and institutions can use to strengthen transparency, communication, and credibility

The project reflects Medscape's broader commitment to fostering informed dialogue around some of the most urgent issues facing clinicians, patients, and healthcare systems today. 

About Medscape
Medscape is the leading source of clinical news, health information, and point-of-care tools for health care professionals. Medscape offers specialists, primary care physicians, and other health professionals the most robust and integrated medical information and educational tools. Medscape AI is the first and only medical-grade generative AI platform that synthesizes peer‑reviewed evidence, real-time medical news, and Medscape's expert‑validated content in seconds, delivering clinically verified insights that healthcare professionals can trust. Built for global healthcare, Medscape AI is free to all 13+ million Medscape members and accessible in any language, in any country, and in any clinic. Medscape Education (medscape.org) is the leading destination for continuous professional development, consisting of more than 30 specialty-focused destinations offering thousands of free C.M.E. and C.E. courses and other educational programs for physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals. Medscape is a subsidiary of WebMD Health Corp., an Internet Brands company.

SOURCE Medscape