What are some strategies to rebuild trust across public health and the communities we serve?

Highlights

• To build trust, clinicians must maintain a consistent presence within communities rather than engaging only during a crisis.
• Proactively communicate about common health issues to become the trusted, primary source for patients, countering potential misinformation.
• Actively listen to patient concerns and educate yourself on health topics circulating in the media and on social channels.
• Invest resources into community priorities and establish advisory boards to give community members real decision-making power.
• Rebuilding trust requires sustained investment in tangible programs that outlast any single health initiative.

Expert Insights

Shifting from Reactive Response to Prophylactic Engagement

The erosion of trust between public health institutions and the communities they serve presents a critical challenge to clinical practice and population health outcomes. Two experts from differing specialties agree that the foundational strategy for rebuilding this trust lies in shifting from a model of crisis-driven communication to one of sustained, proactive engagement. This requires a fundamental change in how clinicians and health systems interact with the public, moving beyond episodic interventions to build a durable relational infrastructure.

"We can't just show up when there's a crisis and we can't depend on public health figureheads to do all the communication." Dr. Rohan Ramakrishna

The Imperative of Consistent Presence and Communication

Neurosurgeon Dr. Rohan Ramakrishna emphasizes that trust cannot be surged in an emergency. He argues that healthcare professionals must establish a consistent presence in the public sphere, regularly communicating about health issues relevant to their communities. This ongoing dialogue serves a prophylactic purpose. "If we do that," Dr. Ramakrishna states, "when health misinformation or disinformation reaches our patients, they will come to us for guidance before acting on that information." This positions the clinician as the primary, trusted source. Dr. Jeannie Kelly, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, echoes this, advocating for a physical presence at community forums and neighborhood health fairs outside of crisis periods. The shared principle is that relationships must be established and nurtured during times of calm to be resilient during times of turmoil.

From Presence to Authentic Partnership and Shared Power

Dr. Kelly extends the concept of presence to one of authentic partnership, which necessitates tangible investment and a redistribution of power. She argues that trust is built when health systems invest directly in community-identified priorities, citing examples such as funding doula support programs or partnering with local food banks. This demonstrates a commitment to addressing the social determinants of health that communities themselves deem important. Furthermore, Dr. Kelly stresses the importance of structural change, such as establishing an OB/GYN Community Advisory Board with genuine influence over clinical and research priorities. Giving community members "real decision-making power" transforms them from passive recipients of care to active partners in shaping it. This moves beyond rhetoric to the delivery of tangible programs that reflect community needs.

The Clinician's Role as an Informed, Empathetic Advisor

At the individual practitioner level, Dr. Ramakrishna outlines the clinician's role in becoming "the trusted advisor on all matters of health for our patients." This is not a passive designation but an active pursuit. It requires physicians to diligently educate themselves about the health topics, including misinformation, circulating in popular media and on social platforms. Crucially, it also demands that they carefully listen to their patients' concerns without immediate dismissal. By understanding the information ecosystem their patients inhabit and responding with empathy and evidence, clinicians can fortify the individual patient-physician relationship, which serves as the bedrock of broader public trust.

Acknowledging the Resource-Intensive Nature of Trust

Both perspectives converge on the understanding that these strategies are neither simple nor inexpensive. Dr. Kelly explicitly notes that rebuilding trust is a long-term endeavor requiring significant and sustained investment. "Trust building takes time, money, resources, and intentional effort that outlasts any single initiative," she concludes. This underscores a critical message for healthcare leaders and policymakers: establishing trust is not a communications campaign but a core operational commitment. It necessitates allocating budgets and personnel to community engagement, partnership development, and the implementation of community-shaped programs as a permanent, rather than provisional, function of the healthcare system.

"Trust building takes time, money, resources, and intentional effort that outlasts any single initiative." Dr. Jeannie Kelly