Public trust in the information age

摘要

We are at a crossroads in medicine, and in science in general. In a Humanities article published in CMAJ, Dr. Maya Goldenberg1 uses vaccine hesitancy as an example of the erosion of public trust in medicine. Mistrust is the hidden force that may stand 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 move forward without addressing the changing nature of health literacy in the information age.