In Light of RFK Jr., Why Patients Have Lost Trust in Physicians

Confession time: This week, in light of RFK Jr.’s confirmation to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, I had planned to use this space to reflect on the health policy changes coming from the new administration and how our physician community is coping with them. But over the past several weeks, I’ve come to realize there’s a much larger story than RFK Jr., MAHA, or vaccines that poses an urgent and existential threat to our profession: the erosion of trust in doctors in America.

It’s become clear to me that we as physicians and a healthcare system have lost the trust of the public. Consider this simple question: Why is it that Mr. Kennedy’s lack of credentials and expertise — and of basic knowledge about the agencies under his purview — are exactly what many people find so appealing about him? The erosion of trust in medical experts has been simmering for years, but spread like wildfire during Covid and will almost certainly now gain steam. And as measles spreads in Texas; Ebola spreads in Uganda; Tuberculosis in Kansas; Avian flu in Nevada; and Mpox in New York, I believe it’s urgent that we as physicians have an open conversation about what we can do to gain back the public’s trust.

So this morning, I published my own ideas about how we might go about doing this — based on lessons from my interactions with ER patients who once distrusted my advice, but ended up believing it. Could this work on a societal level? I suspect so. As a valued newsletter subscriber and member of Offcall’s community, you’re the very first to see the piece, and I’d love for it to spark a big conversation! Tell me: Why do you believe the public has lost trust in doctors? What do you think about my four lessons learned for how we can combat this? And what else would you add to my list? What has helped you earn trust with your own patients? Reply directly or add your comments, I’m excited to hear from you and to see where this discussion may lead.

Read my latest op-ed here.

Graham Walker, MD, Emergency Physician
Co-founder, Offcall

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Finding Your Physician Voice (and TikTok Fame) With Dr. Darien Sutton

This week on How I Doctor, Graham spoke with Dr. Darien Sutton — an emergency physician, ABC News correspondent, and doctor-influencer — about the value of teaching patients health literacy, the importance of doctors looking like their patients, and Darien’s shift from full-time physician to media figure.

Darien, who boasts over 2 million followers on TikTok, shares all sorts of insights about his experience on the platform, including how it helped him find his voice and why creators need to be their own super fans. Darien also advocates for more physician pay transparency and reveals the new specialty he’d invent — doctors for anxious 30- and- 40-somethings. Tune in for an engaging conversation with one of the leading physician voices of his generation.

Listen to the episode →

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4 Things to Read This Week

The Physicians Really Are Healing Themselves, With Ozempic → (NYT)
It’s an open secret at cardiology conferences: A lot of doctors are taking GLP-1s.

AMA Augmented Intelligence Research → (AMA)
Physicians’ enthusiasm over AI is increasing, according to a new survey.

Why the health care industry is letting RFK Jr. cruise to confirmation → (Politico)
Why aren’t more healthcare leaders and groups asking senators to block RFK Jr’s HHS appointment?

The Scientific Literature Can’t Save You Now → (The Atlantic)
In his confirmation hearing, RFK Jr. cited research from a peer-reviewed journal — but the researcher and the journal are far from credible. No one challenged him.

From Our Partners

🚀 Do you love games + clinical workflows + EMR data + cash prizes? Offcall is proud to sponsor X = Primary Care Chart Biopsy Games on Feb. 21-23 featuring engaging challenges inspired by real-world clinical scenarios. The event is open to clinicians, technologists, and anyone enthusiastic about healthcare technology, and organized by friend of Offcall Dr. Paulius Mui. Learn more about this great event and apply to participate and put your skills to the test here.

Highlights From Our Community

Each week, we celebrate career milestones, launches, & other goings-on in the physician community. Have something to promote? Reply and we’ll feature you.

🤝 See You at ViVE, John Dayton
FOMO time. Too many physicians to count are headed to ViVE in Nashville next week including Graham, Dr. Dayton, and so many more. See the full list here and get in touch with Graham if you’ll be there!

🎙️Congrats, Kaveh Hoda
Dr. Hoda recently launched a new episode of his podcast The House of Pod called Trump Attacks Healthcare featuring Dr. Jeremy Faust. Listen to the latest episode.

📚Great read, Esther Choo
Emergency physician Esther Choo wrote about why pulling resources and blocking access to key scientific data will cause long-term harm in BMJ.

📚Awesome job, Marisha Burden
Dr. Burden’s article exploring the hidden impact of administrative decisions in healthcare won an award. Check it out.

✍️Home run, Spencer Dorn
Dr. Dorn wrote about AI summaries and how they can help physicians manage the “information tsunami.” Read his deep dive.

👏You got this, Dhruv Khullar
Dr. Khullar will be presenting at the FASPE symposium about motivations and responsibilities of physicians, patients, and other stakeholders in promoting quality care. Sign up to watch.

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