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KFF designs, conducts and analyzes original public opinion and survey research on Americans’ attitudes, knowledge, and experiences with the health care system to help amplify the public’s voice in major national debates.
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The Monitor is a report from KFF’s Health Information and Trust initiative that focuses on recent developments in health information. It’s free and published twice a month. Sign up to receive email updates
The Health Information and Trust Initiative is a KFF program aimed at tracking health misinformation in the U.S., analyzing its impact on the American people, and mobilizing media to address the problem. Our goal is to be of service to everyone working on health misinformation, strengthen efforts to counter misinformation, and build trust.
KFF’s latest Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust finds that following large declines in trust in federal health agencies from 2020 through early 2026, trust in the CDC as a source of health information held steady over the last 6 months, while trust in both President Trump and state government officials declined somewhat.
KFF’s latest Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust shows that larger shares of the public express uncertainty over common vaccine myths than definitive belief. The latest analysis shows which adults are consistent myth believers, consistent myth deniers, and those who fall in the “mixed middle.”
The latest KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust finds roughly three in ten adults report turning to social media (31%) or AI chatbots (29%) at least monthly for health information and advice. The top reasons people report turning to social media for health advice are wanting to hear from those with similar experiences or a desire for quick information.
Two recent federal actions, including a memo about alleged COVID-19 vaccine deaths and settlements creating a “detransition clinic,” show how official actions can present uncertain or uncommon outcomes as representative and lend credibility to narratives that go beyond what evidence supports.
A hantavirus outbreak linked to a Dutch cruise ship in early May was followed by false health claims that mirror patterns documented in previous outbreaks. The Monitor also examines a new analysis of Americans’ relationship with health and wellness influencers.
KFF’s latest Health Tracking Poll finds that confidence in the independence of key government health agencies overseeing food and drug safety and public health is low among the public and across partisans. Most of the public also share a distrust of agriculture, food, and pharmaceutical companies to act in the public’s best interest, compared with doctors and health care providers who are much more trusted among the public. The latest edition of the Monitor also…
Five technology companies have launched dedicated consumer-facing AI health tools so far in 2026, reflecting though questions about AI’s reliability remain. And a decades-old WHO classification has been misrepresented online to suggest that hormonal birth control pills were recently found to cause cancer.
False claims about the safety of mifepristone are driving legislative and investigative action in Congress, even as major medical organizations and decades of clinical evidence support the drug’s safety.
KFF's latest Tracking Poll finds that one-third of the public report using AI chatbots for health information and advice in the past year. And a federal judge suspended, for now, the appointments of thirteen members of ACIP, halting a scheduled meeting and staying recent, widely debated, changes to the childhood vaccine schedule.
The EPA launched the next step of its fluoride safety review, as more states move to ban community water fluoridation and senior officials amplify concerns about fluoride beyond what current evidence supports. The Monitor also explores AI policy and content moderation, including the practice of GEO to influence what AI chatbots say.
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