Performance Health Partners
Five years after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, the reverberations continue to impact our perceptions of health institutions and trust in various societal actors. A recent Edelman Trust Barometer update sheds light on the state of trust in healthcare in the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and India.
The Erosion of Trust in Health & Science
The recent Edelman report entitled, “The Unseen Impacts of COVID: a 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report,” paints an unnerving picture of declining trust in health-related domains, particularly within the United States.
A significant finding is the growing skepticism towards science in the context of health.
Alarmingly, 62% of people in the U.S. believe that the COVID-19 pandemic has made Americans less likely to trust and abide by science.
This figure stands in stark contrast to the levels of science skepticism observed in the UK (43%), Brazil (44%), and India (20%).
This lack of trust in science extends to perceptions of governmental priorities. Half of U.S. residents (50%) feel that their government has given less priority to science in its decision-making process since COVID-19. Once again, the U.S. is an outlier in this regard, with fewer people in Brazil (41%), the UK (35%), and India (20%) sharing this sentiment.
A Political Divide in Trusting Health Authorities
The “science-chasm” in the United States appears to fuel a significant political polarization of trust in health authorities.
Edelman’s data reveals that 57% of individuals leaning right in the U.S. reported a decrease in their trust in national health authorities due to the pandemic. Conversely, only 28% of those leaning left experienced a similar decline in trust. This highlights a fractured perception of health leadership based on political affiliation.
Lower Confidence in U.S. Health Institutions for Future Pandemics
Looking ahead, the Edelman survey assesses trust in institutions to handle future health crises. Worryingly, the U.S. demonstrates lower levels of trust in key global and national health organizations compared to the other surveyed nations.
In fact, only 49% of people in the U.S. trust the World Health Organization (WHO), just 45% trust the U.S. health system, and a mere 43% trust pharmaceutical companies to act appropriately in the event of another pandemic.
These figures underscore a significant deficit in confidence within the U.S. health ecosystem.
The Edelman report also explores potential ways to rebuild this eroded trust. In the U.S., the majority of people believe it would be helpful to:
- Analyze what went wrong in the COVID-19 pandemic (57%)
- Publish a plan for how the government would handle a future pandemic (54%)
- Fund research on treatments for viruses (56%)
- Work with other countries to monitor emerging viruses (55%)
- Restrict pandemic misinformation on social media (48%)
The Persistent Problem of Health Misinformation
A critical factor contributing to this “mis-trust hangover” is the pervasive issue of health misinformation.
Interestingly, the U.S. shows the lowest percentage (48%) of population supporting the restriction of pandemic misinformation on social media.
This reluctance to curb health misinformation was described by Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman, as the “most profound” curse of COVID. The widespread and unchecked dissemination of inaccurate health information, particularly concerning vaccines, poses a significant threat to public health, patient safety, and the rebuilding of patient trust.
Hope in Experts & Community Healthcare Providers
Despite the widespread erosion of trust, the Edelman survey offers a glimmer of hope. Experts and healthcare providers remain the top two most-trusted sources for accurate information regarding health recommendations and updates during a potential future pandemic. This underscores the critical role of these professionals in communicating science-based information effectively and rebuilding public confidence.
Furthermore, there is a significant opportunity to leverage trusted community touchpoints, such as the retail health sector, including grocery stores with co-located pharmacies.
Pharmacists, consistently ranked among the most trusted professions for honesty and ethics, can play a vital role in disseminating accurate health information and promoting practices like vaccination. Initiatives like Kroger Health’s vaccination campaigns demonstrate the potential of these community-based healthcare providers in reaching the public.
As ECRI aptly states in its recent report on top patient safety issues in 2025, “If viral misinformation is the disease, health literacy is part of the cure.”
These frontline healthcare workers are crucial in fostering informed decision-making.
Rebuilding Trust: A Collaborative Imperative
Addressing the decreasing trust in health requires a concerted effort across the entire healthcare ecosystem. Public-private collaborations are essential to rebuild eroding trust in institutions by effectively channeling expert and clinical information through trusted community networks. Given the particular challenge of vaccine misinformation in the U.S., an all-hands-on-deck approach is necessary to restore public confidence in health and science.
The Edelman Trust Barometer update serves as a crucial indicator of the current state of health trust. While the findings, particularly for the United States, highlight significant challenges, they also point towards potential pathways for rebuilding trust by leveraging the credibility of experts, healthcare providers, and trusted community partners. Moving forward, a focused and collaborative effort is essential to overcome the mistrust in healthcare and foster a more informed and trusting public health landscape.