Healthcare Professionals vs. Health Influencers: Bridging the Trust Gap
- Nicole Bowens
- Mar 25
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 30
It has become increasingly important for healthcare professionals to reach the general public. Scientific misinformation is at an all-time high, and with social media, health influencers have become a predominant force in public health.
I offer some observations on why influencers have overshadowed healthcare professionals. I also share a few practical suggestions, based partly in my own experience, on how providers can better connect with the public and regain trust.
Why Do People Listen to Health Influencers Over Professionals?
I was recently involved in a discussion on LinkedIn and wanted to share some of my thoughts on the topic. I think one of the main reasons is low health literacy. This is, to some degree, due to socioeconomics and a lack of emphasis on science education, which I can’t properly cover in this article.
Nonetheless, I think that has led to a healthcare professionals vs. health influencers paradigm. I’ve listed what I see as the main contrasts in how the two groups represent medical science and health information.
Healthcare Professionals vs. Healthcare Influencers
Complexity and nuance vs. oversimplification
Evidence-based vs. exaggeration
Factual vs. sensationalism and fear-driven messaging
Effective solutions vs. easy solutions that promise a quick fix
In order for healthcare professionals to regain public trust and improve quality of care, these issues would likely have to be addressed. If people are never trained to understand the scientific method or the value of science in general, they will always go to the health influencers because they tell them what they want to hear.
Do you want to lower your blood pressure by losing weight or by drinking a smoothie of sea moss, beets, and bananas?
Influencers make content that feels simpler, more exciting, and less intimidating, and in doing so, they often sacrifice accuracy. Medical professionals face the challenge of communicating science in a way that is memorable and engaging without losing their commitment to evidence and honesty.
How Can We Compete with the Health Influencer Model?
Overcoming lack of health literacy is a challenge I am not qualified to delve into, but I do have a few suggestions for the other challenges. My idea is to draw upon the patterns and tendencies people often use in how they absorb healthcare information. These are my suggestions.
Meet the patient where they are: Pay attention to what your patient is saying, where they are getting their information, and the quality and depth of their understanding. The general motto is to use simple, approachable language. From my perspective, as a scientifically minded and educated professional, I become bored and want to get straight into the data and nuances.
Incorporate believable anecdotes: Use real patient stories or well-crafted composite/generalized examples. These could help people see themselves in the story and make abstract concepts concrete.
Normalize struggle and imperfection: Acknowledge that following health advice is hard and that setbacks are normal. This reduces shame and builds trust, encouraging honesty and ongoing engagement.
Encourage baby steps and incremental progress: Breaking complex behavior change into manageable, achievable actions lowers the barrier to starting and sustaining new habits.
Encourage patients to take notes or provide brief, easy-to-follow pointers to take home: Many people feel overwhelmed and stressed during appointments, then forget important information once they leave. Offering simple takeaways can make the guidance feel more manageable and actionable.
Create a supportive, non-judgmental follow-up process: Let people know they can be honest about struggles without penalty, and that together you’ll find workable compromises. This fosters accountability and collaboration rather than pressure or guilt.
My Personal Experience
I developed some of these suggestions from my own interactions with healthcare providers. I will share a few with you here.
Seeing the ENT: I have been seeing an ENT for chronic sinus congestion. We agreed I’d try twice-daily saline washes with a corticosteroid spray and an antihistamine spray.
At a follow-up appointment a month later, I admitted I hadn’t followed through. Life stressors made the routine feel overwhelming, and I hadn’t even picked up one of the nasal sprays because the office mistakenly sent the prescription to the wrong pharmacy, which was much further away. I ended up giving up on having it resent because the office was inconsistent about answering calls.
At my follow-up, I was honest about not sticking to the plan and the stress I’d been under. Rather than judging me, the doctor appreciated my honesty and was even somewhat amused. Despite my inconsistent use, she ordered a CT scan since I wasn’t seeing improvement. After the appointment, I was much more consistent with the regimen, though it’s still labor-intensive.
Seeing the PCP: I had been in denial about my blood pressure being too high for a while. I considered it a personal failure, evidence of my lack of discipline. I thought my health was going down the drain, that I was getting old. But I didn’t want to start medications.
After seeing one PCP, I finally decided to address the issue. I did all the things: I started exercising regularly, I kept an eye on sodium intake, and I bought a validated blood pressure cuff so I could get closer to proper baseline measurements. The first PCP actually stood me up for the follow-up appointment, but I was able to get in to see another one.
With this PCP, I discussed the lifestyle changes I had made and the baseline readings, which were still high but more borderline than the readings I was getting at the office. Unfortunately, it seems as if none of the techs are either trained in proper blood pressure measuring technique or the rushed aspects of healthcare have caused them to ignore them. By that, I mean measuring immediately after you walk over to the station, talking to you right before the measurement, and placing the cuff over your sleeve.
Nonetheless, the PCP took my readings as the proper representation of my baseline. One thing she said that I didn’t forget is that her husband was taking BP meds, that it was something they carefully weighed and discussed and decided was the best course of action, not because he had somehow failed in self-care, but for various factors including genetics.
That made a difference because I conceded that I didn’t think I could maintain perfect consistency with lifestyle changes. It had become stressful, and I was overwhelmed. I ended up agreeing to start a med. The doctor didn’t press or push, just gave information to weigh carefully.
Final Thoughts
I think these two stories clearly demonstrate some of my suggestions: meeting the patient where they are, using anecdotes, and having compassion for non-compliance.
If healthcare professionals want to regain public trust, we have to communicate differently. That means using clear language, sharing real experiences, and accepting that people struggle with following advice. Science alone won’t win the conversation if it doesn’t connect. The challenge is real, but meeting people where they are is the only way forward.
References
Chou WS, Gaysynsky A, Vanderpool RC. The Role of Social Media in Promoting Health Literacy. Health Educ Behav. 2021;48(3):306-310. doi:10.1177/1090198120917314. PMCID: PMC7889072.
Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Social Determinants of Health: Why Education Is Crucial. Published 2021. Accessed June 28, 2025. https://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/social-determinant-of-health-education-is-crucial/
Braveman P, Egerter S, Williams DR. The Social Determinants of Health: Coming of Age. Annu Rev Public Health. 2011;32:381-398. doi:10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031210-101218. PMCID: PMC1661624.
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