Restoring Trust in Science and Medicine: Empowering and Educating Future Physicians in Science Communication With the Public

Abstract

While the traditional medical school curriculum specializes in teaching doctor–patient communication at the individual patient level, the need to train physicians to communicate science and medicine effectively to the public at large is, for the most part, ignored. With the unchecked proliferation of misinformation and disinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical that current and future medical professionals learn to engage in the public arena using multiple methods (written, oral, social media) across multimedia platforms to dispel misinformation and accurately educate the public. This article describes the authors’ interdisciplinary approach at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine to teaching science communication to medical students, early experiences, and future directions in this vein. The authors’ experiences show that medical students are viewed as trusted sources of health-related information, and thus, need the skills and training to tackle misinformation and that students across these learning experiences appreciated the opportunity to choose a topic of their interest according to what matters to them and their communities most. The feasibility of successfully teaching scientific communication in an undergraduate and medical education curriculum is confirmed. These early experiences support the feasibility and impact of training medical students to improve communication about science with the general public.

Does the disclosure of medical insurance information affect patients’ willingness to adopt the diagnosis related groups system

“…For a long time, the frequent occurrence of doctor-patient disputes has led to the deterioration of the doctor-patient relationship, which has caused widespread concern in the society ( 35 ). The doctor-patient disputes have brought serious negative impacts to the health care system, causing both hospitals and patients to fall into the “access paradox trap.” The root cause of doctor-patient conflict is lack of trust ( 40 ). According to Powell, “trust can be used to solve complex practical problems more quickly and with less effort than using authority to limit or use predictions and other methods.” The degree of transparency of health care providers’ information about health care is an important factor that influences residents’ trust in hospitals ( 41 ) Chunnian and Lingyu ( 38 ) identified medical information disclosure as an important factor influencing doctor-patient trust.…”

Using Social Media Platforms for the Greater Good—The Case for Leveraging Social Media for Effective Public Health Messaging

“…With the rapid dissemination of misinformation that can occur on these platforms, as seen during this national event witnessed by millions, 1 the need to provide education on incorporating these types of skills into health care workers' toolbelts cannot be emphasized enough. 6 There are effective strategies that can be used to amplify evidence-based information, fight misinformation, and create effective public health campaigns. 4 It is imperative that we as a health care community continue to provide training and support to others on how to effectively use these platforms to disseminate evidence-based information.…”

“…Traditional medical school training has not typically included education on public health messaging using innovative pathways, such as social media engagement and initiatives. With the rapid dissemination of misinformation that can occur on these platforms, as seen during this national event witnessed by millions, the need to provide education on incorporating these types of skills into health care workers’ toolbelts cannot be emphasized enough . There are effective strategies that can be used to amplify evidence-based information, fight misinformation, and create effective public health campaigns …”

Preface

“…Considering the importance of dispelling scientific and medical misinformation and educating the public, Arora and colleagues 7 write about a multidisciplinary initiative to train medical students to communicate science and medicine effectively to the public at large.…”

“…• Considering the importance of dispelling scientific and medical misinformation and educating the public, Arora and colleagues 7 write about a multidisciplinary initiative to train medical students to communicate science and medicine effectively to the public at large. • Subramanian, Pocivavsek, and Alverdy 8 consider the value of, and threats to, the surgeon-patient relationship in the age of advanced imaging and machine learning.…”