The trend: US consumers are losing confidence in their ability to find answers to health questions and make informed decisions, according to a new Edelman survey of more than 16,000 people across 16 countries, including the US.

• 63% in this year’s survey said they’re confident in their ability to do this.
• But that’s down from 77% who said the same in last year’s report.

Unpacking the trend: Edelman’s survey doesn’t ask consumers why their confidence in getting health answers is declining.

We have three possible explanations for these shifts:

1. Trust in legacy media as a source of health information has declined. Per Edelman, only 38% of US respondents believe the media accurately reports information about healthcare, such as diseases, treatments, and prevention. That’s down significantly from 56% before the COVID-19 pandemic—signaling that people think media coverage of the pandemic was sensationalized or politically biased.

2. Trust in public health institutions is waning. Between 12% and 13% of Americans—varying by agency—said they are “very confident” that federal health agencies such as the CDC, NIH, and FDA are providing the public with reliable information about matters concerning public health, per a February Annenberg poll. That’s down from 17% to 23% who had the highest level of confidence in these departments in 2025, and even further down from about 30% in 2023.

3. More people—younger generations in particular—are turning to digital channels that lack the guardrails needed to protect against mis- and disinformation. 53% of Gen Zers and 37% of millennials use social media for health information, per EMARKETER’s January 2026 US Digital Health survey. AI chatbots are also becoming a much more prevalent health information source, with health-related questions the fastest-growing AI use case in 2026, per our forecasts. However, it’s not possible to oversee or regulate all health content on these online channels.

Why it matters: Consumer uncertainty about the reliability of health information makes them more vulnerable to believing misinformation.

• 61% of US respondents in Edelman’s survey believe at least one “divisive” health claim that’s been debunked, such as routine childhood vaccines being harmful, Tylenol use during pregnancy causing autism, and fluoride in water being damaging to health, among others.
• Belief in any single misleading claim is lower, but most think at least one of Edelman’s six claims is true.

Implications for healthcare providers and marketers: Healthcare and pharma stakeholders are increasingly frustrated by their inability to counter rising consumer skepticism of evidence-based science, as more people abandon traditional sources in favor of alternatives.

Reaching consumers on nontraditional channels—especially social media, where they’re spending more time—can be effective, particularly when messages come from medical professional creators. Ultimately, the most credible setting for engaging skeptics is through local physicians and pharmacists, where concerns can be heard, trust can be rebuilt, and science and evidence can be thoughtfully considered.

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